Randomised controlled trial of a brief theory-based intervention promoting breakfast consumption

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Health Psychology
• Nutrition Interventions

Background:

• Regular breakfast consumption is associated with numerous health benefits.
• Previous research suggests the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) can explain breakfast habits.
• Theory-based interventions are a promising avenue for promoting healthy eating behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the efficacy of a brief, theory-based intervention aimed at increasing regular breakfast consumption.
• To further investigate the applicability of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to breakfast eating patterns.
• To examine the predictive power of TPB constructs on breakfast consumption and intention.

Main Methods:

• A four-armed randomized controlled trial with 349 participants.
• Interventions included positively framed attitude, negatively framed attitude, and Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC) components.
• Participants completed measures of attitude, subjective norm, PBC, intention, and behavior at baseline and 4-week follow-up.

Main Results:

• The interventions did not significantly increase breakfast consumption or alter TPB constructs.
• Baseline TPB constructs (attitude, subjective norm, PBC) significantly predicted intention.
• Baseline intention predicted 33% of breakfast consumption at 4 weeks.
• Changes in breakfast consumption were associated with changes in attitude, subjective norm, and PBC.

Conclusions:

• Despite the lack of direct intervention effects, the TPB framework effectively modeled breakfast consumption over the study period.
• The findings support the potential of theory-based interventions for promoting breakfast consumption, warranting further investigation.
• This study adds to the evidence base for using TPB to understand and influence dietary behaviors.