Promoting children's fruit and vegetable consumption: interventions using the Theory of Planned Behaviour as a...

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Nutrition Science
• Psychology

Background:

• Improving children's dietary habits is crucial for public health.
• Existing interventions often focus on motivation, but volitional strategies may also be effective.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of a motivational intervention (Theory of Planned Behaviour - TPB) with a volitional intervention (implementation intentions) on children's fruit and vegetable consumption.
• To assess the impact of these interventions over a 2-week period.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative longitudinal questionnaire design with 198 participants randomly assigned to control, motivational, or volitional intervention groups.
• Data collected at baseline and 2 weeks later, measuring TPB variables and fruit and vegetable intake.
• Interventions focused on forming implementation intentions or overcoming motivational barriers to consuming five daily portions of fruits and vegetables.

Main Results:

• Both interventions led to significant increases in fruit and vegetable consumption.
• The volitional intervention demonstrated a significantly greater increase in consumption compared to the control group.
• Motivational intervention also showed positive effects, though not significantly different from the control in this comparison.

Conclusions:

• Both motivational and volitional interventions show promise for enhancing children's fruit and vegetable intake.
• Implementation intentions represent a viable strategy for improving children's eating behaviors, particularly within school settings.
• Findings support the integration of such interventions in schools to promote healthier dietary patterns in children.