Dietary outcomes of a community based intervention for mothers of young children: a randomised controlled trial

• Published in: The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity 2014-09, Vol.11 (1), p.120-120, Article 120
• Main Authors: Jancey, Jonine Maree, Dos Remedios Monteiro, Sarojini Maria, Dhaliwal, Satvinder S, Howat, Peter A, Burns, Sharyn, Hills, Andrew P, Anderson, Annie S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: administration & dosage; Adult; Analysis; analysis of variance; Behavior; Body Mass Index; chicken meat; Child, Preschool; children; Children & youth; Clinical trials; dairy products; Diet; Dietary Fats; Dietary Fats - administration & dosage; Dietary Fiber; Dietary Fiber - administration & dosage; Energy Intake; Exercise; Families & family life; fat intake; Feeding Behavior; Food; food intake; Fruit; fruit drinks; fruit juices; Fruits; Health care; Health Promotion; Hospitals; Humans; Intervention; Intervention Studies; lean meat; Lifestyles; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Mothers; Motor Activity; New Zealand; nutrition and physical activity programs; Nutrition Assessment; Nutrition research; Physical fitness; Pilot Projects; Postpartum period; Public health; randomized clinical trials; Residence Characteristics; risk factors; Socioeconomic Factors; soft drinks; Studies; Sugar; sugars; Theory; Treatment Outcome; Vegetables; Western Australia; Womens health
• ISSN: 1479-5868; 1479-5868
• DOI: 10.1186/s12966-014-0120-1

Unhealthy dietary behaviours are one of the key risk factors for many lifestyle-related diseases worldwide. This randomised controlled trial aimed to increase the level of fruit, vegetable and fibre intake and decrease the fat and sugar consumption of mothers with young children (0-5 years) via the playgroup setting. Playgroups located in 60 neighbourhoods in Perth, Western Australia were randomly assigned to an intervention (n = 249) or control group (n = 272). Those in the intervention group received a 6-month multi-strategy primarily home-based physical activity and nutrition program (data is only presented on dietary behaviours). Data on dietary consumption was collected via the Fat and Fibre Barometer and frequency of serves of fruit and vegetable and cups of soft drink, flavoured drink and fruit juice. The effects of the intervention on continuous outcome measures were assessed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), after adjusting for mother's age and the corresponding variables. The outcomes of the intervention were positive with the intervention group showing statistically significant improvements, when compared to the control group in the overall consumption of fat and fibre (p