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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #308360
Title: Does basing an intervention on behavioral theory enhance the efficacy/effectiveness on dietary change for obesity prevention among children? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Author
item DIEP, CASSANDRA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item CHEN, TZU - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item DAVIES, VANESSA - University Of Santa Catarina
item BARANOWSKI, JANICE - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item BARANOWSKI, TOM - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/2014
Publication Date: 5/23/2014
Citation: Diep, C., Chen, T.A., Davies, V., Baranowski, J., Baranowski, T. 2014. Does basing an intervention on behavioral theory enhance the efficacy/effectiveness on dietary change for obesity prevention among children? A systematic review and meta-analysis [abstract]. International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Annual Conference, May 21-24, 2014, San Diego, California. Orals O25.1.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Our purpose was to test whether interventions based on theory, multiple theories, or a formal planning process were more effective in changing fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption among children than interventions with no behavioral theoretical foundation or no formal planning. The authors conducted a systematic literature review through PubMed, PsycInfo, Medline, the Cochrane Collaborative database, and existing literature reviews and meta-analyses for FV interventions targeting children. After extracting data from each study, the authors ran analyses to assess differences in intervention effectiveness by theory use, number of theories, study quality, and formal planning process. We screened 443 articles, of which 29 met inclusionary and exclusionary criteria for this study. Interventions based on a theoretical framework had significantly larger effect sizes for F, V, and FV combined consumption than interventions without a theoretical framework; however, there was no relationship between number of theories and intervention effectiveness. Studies with a formal planning process had a higher effect size for F, but a lower effect size for FV combined, than studies without a formal planning process. Higher quality studies had lower effect sizes for F and V than lower quality studies, but higher quality studies had a higher effect size for FV combined. Predicating an intervention on behavioral theory did enhance outcome effectiveness. There was mixed support, however, for enhanced dietary change with use of multiple theories or a formal planning process. More research is needed on the causal efficacy of theoretical variables to dietary behaviors to provide guidance for future interventions.