involving parents and carers Interventions may be ineffective that promote • and support is important in effecting unless fundamental issues are health-related behaviour change for children addressed, such as individual behaviour confidence to change behaviour, family-based interventions • change. cost and availability; pre-existing focusing on obesity concerns such as poorer taste of prevention are effective Early years healthier foods and confusion over programmes focusing on • School children mixed messages; the perceived CVD risk factors show the Adults of of healthier eating to ‘irrelevance’ strongest effect in dietary working age young people. change and body mass index population (BMI) Tailoring dietary advice to address policy related to the • Pre-school potential barriers (taste, cost, physical environment and settings availability, views of family transport systems makes a School members, time) is key to the difference to physical Workplace effectiveness of interventions and activities such as walking, Primary care may be more important than the although the size of the effect setting. varies across studies Point-of-purchase schemes in shops, mass media campaigns can • supermarkets, restaurants and cafés be effective in increasing can be effective in improving dietary levels of awareness and intake, at least in the short term, knowledge, but there is less particularly if accompanied by evidence on their effects on supporting education, information behaviour, and the evidence and promotion. There is some that exists is mixed evidence that longer-term, methods such as telephone • interventions may show counselling and postal greater effects. prompts can be effective incentives to participants (not • Early years financial incentives) seem to work
that promote and support health-related behaviour change. Early years School children Adults of working age population Pre-school settings School Workplace Primary care • involving parents and carers is important in effecting behaviour change for children • family-based interventions focusing on obesity prevention are effective • programmes focusing on CVD risk factors show the strongest effect in dietary change and body mass index (BMI) • policy related to the physical environment and transport systems makes a difference to physical activities such as walking, although the size of the effect varies across studies • mass media campaigns can be effective in increasing levels of awareness and knowledge, but there is less evidence on their effects on behaviour, and the evidence that exists is mixed • methods such as telephone counselling and postal prompts can be effective • incentives to participants (not financial incentives) seem to work Interventions may be ineffective unless fundamental issues are addressed, such as individual confidence to change behaviour, cost and availability; pre-existing concerns such as poorer taste of healthier foods and confusion over mixed messages; the perceived ‘irrelevance’ of healthier eating to young people. Tailoring dietary advice to address potential barriers (taste, cost, availability, views of family members, time) is key to the effectiveness of interventions and may be more important than the setting. Point-of-purchase schemes in shops, supermarkets, restaurants and cafés can be effective in improving dietary intake, at least in the short term, particularly if accompanied by supporting education, information and promotion. There is some evidence that longer-term, interventions may show greater effects. Early years
Nutrition%20Evidence%20Review%20Final.docx