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[Improving diet quality in children through a new nutritional education programme: INFADIMED]
Maria Del Mar Bibiloni1, Jordi Fernández-Blanco2, Noemí Pujol-Plana3
1Grupo de Investigación en Nutrición Comunitaria y Estrés Oxidativo, Universidad de las Islas Baleares, Palma de Mallorca, España; CIBER de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y la Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, España.
Gaceta Sanitaria
|April 16, 2017
Summary
A nutritional education program improved children's diets and reduced obesity rates. The INFADIMED intervention led to healthier eating habits and a significant increase in normal weight among participants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Public Health Interventions
- Obesity Prevention
Background:
- Childhood overweight and obesity are significant public health concerns.
- Dietary habits established in early childhood often persist into adulthood.
- Effective, resource-based nutritional education programs are needed to address these issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a locally-resourced nutritional education program (INFADIMED) on children's diet quality.
- To assess the program's impact on reducing overweight and obesity prevalence in children aged 3-7 years.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal intervention study involving 1,199 children (aged 3-7 years) in Vilafranca del Penedès, Spain.
- An intervention group (INFADIMED, n=319) received nutritional education, while a control group (n=880) did not.
- Measurements included weight, height, BMI, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet (KIDMED test) at baseline and follow-up.
Main Results:
- The INFADIMED group showed increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, and dairy, and decreased intake of sugary items and unhealthy breakfast options.
- Adherence to the Mediterranean diet significantly improved in the INFADIMED group, with high adherence rising from 39.2% to 70.5%.
- Children in the INFADIMED group were four times more likely to transition from overweight/obese to normal weight compared to the control group (OR: 4.08).
Conclusions:
- The INFADIMED nutritional education program effectively enhanced children's dietary quality.
- The program demonstrated significant success in reducing the prevalence of overweight and obesity among participating children.
- Locally-resourced nutritional education can be a valuable tool for improving child health outcomes.