Promoting dairy consumption behavior in the school setting: an experiment based on the transtheoretical model

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutrition Science
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Nutrition education is crucial for improving student health behaviors.
• The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) is a widely used framework for behavior change.
• This research focuses on enhancing dairy consumption among female students using the TTM.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a nutrition education intervention based on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM).
• To modify dairy consumption behaviors in female high school students.
• To assess the impact of the TTM on stages of change, self-efficacy, and decisional balance related to dairy intake.

Main Methods:

• A controlled trial involving 159 female students (grades 10-11) in Iran.
• Data collection included demographic characteristics, knowledge, TTM constructs, and stage of change via questionnaires.
• Intervention and control groups were compared before and one month after the educational program using statistical analyses (Chi-square, t-test, ANCOVA).

Main Results:

• After the intervention, the intervention group showed significant improvements in cognitive and behavioral processes of change, decisional balance, and self-efficacy (P < 0.05).
• The proportion of students in the action or maintenance stages of dairy consumption increased significantly in the intervention group (37%) compared to the control group (16%) (P < 0.001).
• Initial stages showed only 15% of students in action or maintenance phases before the intervention.

Conclusions:

• An intervention grounded in the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) positively influences students' dairy consumption behaviors.
• The TTM shows promise for promoting nutritional behaviors and should be explored for other dietary aspects in students.
• This study provides evidence for the efficacy of TTM-based interventions in school nutrition programs.