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Combining Effect and Process Evaluation on European Preschool Children's Snacking Behavior in a Kindergarten-Based,
Marieke De Craemer1,2, Vera Verbestel1, Maïté Verloigne2,3
1Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Insights
The ToyBox intervention did not significantly alter European preschoolers' snack intake. Process evaluation scores from teachers and parents also showed no association with improved snack habits in children.
Area of Science:
- Child Nutrition
- Public Health Interventions
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Preschoolers' dietary habits are crucial for long-term health.
- Effective interventions are needed to improve children's snack intake.
- The ToyBox intervention aimed to promote healthy eating in European preschoolers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of the standardized ToyBox intervention on preschoolers' snacking behavior.
- To determine if higher process evaluation scores correlate with better intervention outcomes.
- To analyze intervention effects across six European countries.
Main Methods:
- A large sample of 4970 preschoolers (aged 4.74 ± 0.44 years) from six European countries participated.
- Snack intake was assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire.
- Multilevel repeated measures analyses and process evaluation questionnaires were employed.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant intervention effects on preschoolers' snack intake were observed (p > 0.003).
- Process evaluation scores from teachers and parents did not correlate with improved snack intake.
- Intervention effects did not differ based on evaluation scores.
Conclusions:
- The standardized ToyBox intervention, as implemented, did not significantly change preschoolers' snack intake.
- Limited intervention duration and dose may have contributed to the lack of effect.
- Future interventions may require greater standardization and local tailoring for enhanced impact.
Abstract:
This study aimed at (1) studying the effect of the standardized ToyBox intervention on European preschoolers' snacking behavior, and (2) studying whether a higher process evaluation score from teachers and parents/caregivers was associated with a more positive result for preschoolers' snack intake. A sample of 4970 preschoolers (51.4% boys, 4.74 ± 0.44 years) from six European countries provided information on snack intake with the use of a Food Frequency Questionnaire. To investigate the effect of the intervention, multilevel repeated measures analyses were executed for the total sample and the six country-specific samples. Furthermore, questionnaires to measure process evaluation were used to compute a total process evaluation score for teachers and parents/caregivers. No significant intervention effects on preschoolers' snack intake were found (all p > 0.003). In general, no different effects of the intervention on snack intake were found according to kindergarten teachers' and parents'/caregivers' process evaluation scores. The lack of effects could be due to limited intervention duration and dose. To induce larger effects on preschoolers' snack intake, a less standardized intervention which is more tailored to the local needs might be needed.
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