A cluster randomized web-based intervention trial among one-year-old children in kindergarten to reduce neophobia and promote healthy diets. A description.

摘要

Background: A child's first years of life are crucial for cognitive development and future health. Studies show that a varied diet with a high intake of vegetables is positive for weight development, mental health and cognitive development. A low intake of vegetables is considered one of the greatest challenges in children's diets in Norway. Researchers suggest that one barrier for vegetable intake among children is food neophobia. Food neophobia is defined as a reluctance to taste and eat new foods. Food neophobia increases from the age of 2 years and decreases later in childhood. Our hypothesis is that interventions that can increase children's intake of vegetables should be introduced early in life to overcome children's neophobia. This study aims to develop and measure the effect of two different interventions among one-year-old children in kindergartens to reduce neophobia and promote healthy diets. This abstract gives a short description of the study design and plan. Methods: The kindergartens are randomized to one of three groups: two different intervention groups and one control group. A total of 306 children will be included in the study. The first intervention group will be served a warm lunch meal with a variety of vegetables, three days a week during the intervention period that will last for three months. The second intervention group will also be served the same meals and in addition implement pedagogical tools including sensory lessons (the Sapere method) and advices on meal practice and feeding practices. The control group will continue their usual meal practices. To evaluate effect of the interventions on the given outcomes, parents and kindergarten staff will complete questionnaires at baseline and post intervention. There will be follow-up-questionnaires when the children are 36 and 48 months old. A similar intervention among 2-year-old children in kindergarten has been implemented and evaluated earlier (Preschoolers' Food Courage), and we will now investigate whether a digital version of this intervention has an effect, because a digital intervention can be easily implemented nationwide. We will also investigate whether there are benefits of conducting such interventions in younger children, before the onset of food neophobia. Questionnaires, information videos and receipes will be included in a study web page. Results: The intervention period of three months will start during autumn 2017. The primary outcomes are child level of food neophobia and child dietary habits, food variety and vegetable liking. Secondary outcomes are child cognitive development, parental and kindergarten staff feeding practices, and child weight and height. Conclusions: Results of this study will provide new knowledge about whether or not a Sapere-sensory education and a healthy meal intervention targeting children, kindergarten staff and parents will reduce levels of food neophobia in toddlers, improve parental and kindergarten feeding practices, improve children's dietary variety, improve children's cognitive development and reduce childhood overweight.