A brief educational intervention increases knowledge of the sugar content of foods and drinks but does not decrease intakes in scottish children aged 10-12 years

Tania L. Griffin; Diane M. Jackson; Geraldine McNeill; Lorna S. Aucott; Jennie I. Macdiarmid

doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2015.03.009

A brief educational intervention increases knowledge of the sugar content of foods and drinks but does not decrease intakes in scottish children aged 10-12 years

Tania L. Griffin^*, Diane M. Jackson, Geraldine McNeill, Lorna S. Aucott, Jennie I. Macdiarmid

^*Corresponding author for this work

Applied Health Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of an educational intervention to improve children's knowledge of the sugar content of food and beverages.

METHODS: Cluster-randomized, controlled trial with 268 children (aged 10-12 years) from 14 primary schools in Aberdeen, Scotland. The intervention group received 2 interactive classroom sessions about sugar. A questionnaire to assess knowledge was completed at baseline and 4, 10, and 34 weeks postintervention. Dietary intake was assessed by food frequency questionnaire at baseline and on weeks 10 and 34.

RESULTS: After the intervention, the intervention group demonstrated greater knowledge of sugar than did the control group (P< .001), which was sustained at week 34 (P < .001). Dietary intakes of sugar did not change postintervention. Pre-intervention children underestimated the sugar content of fruit-based beverages.

Conclusions and Implications

Children’s knowledge of sugar in food and beverages is limited but can be improved through a simple educational intervention. Further intervention would be needed to encourage a change in dietary intake.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	367-373.e1
Number of pages	8
Journal	Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
Volume	47
Issue number	4
Early online date	5 May 2015
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2015.03.009
Publication status	Published - Jul 2015

Keywords

children
cluster-randomized controlled trial
knowledge
sugar

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Medicine (miscellaneous)
Nutrition and Dietetics

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Cite this

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title = "A brief educational intervention increases knowledge of the sugar content of foods and drinks but does not decrease intakes in scottish children aged 10-12 years",

abstract = "OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of an educational intervention to improve children's knowledge of the sugar content of food and beverages. METHODS: Cluster-randomized, controlled trial with 268 children (aged 10-12 years) from 14 primary schools in Aberdeen, Scotland. The intervention group received 2 interactive classroom sessions about sugar. A questionnaire to assess knowledge was completed at baseline and 4, 10, and 34 weeks postintervention. Dietary intake was assessed by food frequency questionnaire at baseline and on weeks 10 and 34. RESULTS: After the intervention, the intervention group demonstrated greater knowledge of sugar than did the control group (P< .001), which was sustained at week 34 (P < .001). Dietary intakes of sugar did not change postintervention. Pre-intervention children underestimated the sugar content of fruit-based beverages.Conclusions and ImplicationsChildren{\textquoteright}s knowledge of sugar in food and beverages is limited but can be improved through a simple educational intervention. Further intervention would be needed to encourage a change in dietary intake.",

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A brief educational intervention increases knowledge of the sugar content of foods and drinks but does not decrease intakes in scottish children aged 10-12 years. / Griffin, Tania L.; Jackson, Diane M.; McNeill, Geraldine et al.
In: Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, Vol. 47, No. 4, 07.2015, p. 367-373.e1.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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T1 - A brief educational intervention increases knowledge of the sugar content of foods and drinks but does not decrease intakes in scottish children aged 10-12 years

AU - Griffin, Tania L.

AU - Jackson, Diane M.

AU - McNeill, Geraldine

AU - Aucott, Lorna S.

AU - Macdiarmid, Jennie I.

PY - 2015/7

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N2 - OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of an educational intervention to improve children's knowledge of the sugar content of food and beverages. METHODS: Cluster-randomized, controlled trial with 268 children (aged 10-12 years) from 14 primary schools in Aberdeen, Scotland. The intervention group received 2 interactive classroom sessions about sugar. A questionnaire to assess knowledge was completed at baseline and 4, 10, and 34 weeks postintervention. Dietary intake was assessed by food frequency questionnaire at baseline and on weeks 10 and 34. RESULTS: After the intervention, the intervention group demonstrated greater knowledge of sugar than did the control group (P< .001), which was sustained at week 34 (P < .001). Dietary intakes of sugar did not change postintervention. Pre-intervention children underestimated the sugar content of fruit-based beverages.Conclusions and ImplicationsChildren’s knowledge of sugar in food and beverages is limited but can be improved through a simple educational intervention. Further intervention would be needed to encourage a change in dietary intake.

AB - OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of an educational intervention to improve children's knowledge of the sugar content of food and beverages. METHODS: Cluster-randomized, controlled trial with 268 children (aged 10-12 years) from 14 primary schools in Aberdeen, Scotland. The intervention group received 2 interactive classroom sessions about sugar. A questionnaire to assess knowledge was completed at baseline and 4, 10, and 34 weeks postintervention. Dietary intake was assessed by food frequency questionnaire at baseline and on weeks 10 and 34. RESULTS: After the intervention, the intervention group demonstrated greater knowledge of sugar than did the control group (P< .001), which was sustained at week 34 (P < .001). Dietary intakes of sugar did not change postintervention. Pre-intervention children underestimated the sugar content of fruit-based beverages.Conclusions and ImplicationsChildren’s knowledge of sugar in food and beverages is limited but can be improved through a simple educational intervention. Further intervention would be needed to encourage a change in dietary intake.

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A brief educational intervention increases knowledge of the sugar content of foods and drinks but does not decrease intakes in scottish children aged 10-12 years

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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