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Testing a Web-Based Interactive Comic Tool to Decrease Obesity Risk Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Preadolescents:
May May Leung1, Katrina F Mateo2, Marlo Dublin3
1Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA, United States.
JMIR Formative Research
|January 15, 2025
Summary
Interactive nutrition comics show promise for improving children's diets. This technology-based tool improved fruit, vegetable, and water intake in minority preadolescents, with results maintained at follow-up.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Health Behavior Change
- Digital Health Interventions
Background:
- Childhood obesity disproportionately affects low-income racial and ethnic minority populations.
- Dietary factors like high-energy food intake and low fruit/vegetable consumption contribute to obesity.
- Technology-based tools offer potential for promoting healthier eating habits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of Intervention INC, an interactive web-based nutrition comic tool.
- To explore the preliminary effectiveness of Intervention INC on diet-related psychosocial variables and behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Pilot randomized study with 89 Black and Hispanic preadolescents (mean age 10.4 years) in New York City.
- Intervention group received web-based interactive nutrition comics; comparison group received nutrition newsletters.
- Feasibility, usability, acceptability, and satisfaction were primary measures; diet-related attitudes and behaviors were secondary.
Main Results:
- High engagement with the web-based tools (72% and 60% weekly access).
- Both tools were found acceptable with high usability scores.
- Medium to large effect sizes favoring the comic intervention for fruit, vegetable, and water intake behaviors were maintained at 3-month follow-up.
Conclusions:
- Interactive comic tools are a feasible and appealing format for promoting healthy dietary behaviors in minority preadolescents.
- Further research, including large-scale trials, is needed to confirm the effectiveness of Intervention INC.
