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Title: A comment on Scherr et al. "A multicomponent, school-based intervention, the Shaping Healthy Choices Program, improves nutrition-related outcomes"

Author
item WOOD, ALEXIS - CHILDREN'S NUTRITION RESEARCH CENTER (CNRC)
item BROWN, ANDREW - INDIANA UNIVERSITY
item LI, PENG - UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
item OAKES, J - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
item PAVELA, GREGORY - UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
item THOMAS, DIANA - U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY
item ALLISON, DAVID - INDIANA UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/19/2017
Publication Date: 3/1/2018
Citation: Wood, A.C., Brown, A.W., Li, P., Oakes, J.M., Pavela, G., Thomas, D.M., Allison, D.B. 2018. A comment on Scherr et al. "A multicomponent, school-based intervention, the Shaping Healthy Choices Program, improves nutrition-related outcomes". Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 50(3):324-325. https://doi.org/10/1016/j.jneb.2017.12.011.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: We write in response to the article by Scherr et al. entitled "A multicomponent, school-based intervention, the Shaping Healthy Choices Program, improves nutrition-related outcomes." We admire Scherr et al. for undertaking such a challenging study on so important a topic, and for wisely using a randomized controlled design, the design that allows for the strongest causal inferences. The article concludes that "The SHCP [Shaping Healthy Choices Program] resulted in improvements in nutrition knowledge, vegetable identification, and a significant decrease in BMI [body mass index] percentiles." Although news of a beneficial program in the domain of childhood obesity would be most welcome, unfortunately this conclusion is derived from an analysis inappropriate for a cluster randomized trial (CRT) and thus cannot substantiate conclusions about the effects of the intervention. We therefore request that the scientific record be corrected with a retraction of, or an erratum to, this article so that readers may understand the true findings of this valuable research. This will allow these findings to be built upon and incorporated into subsequent studies seeking the same noble goal: combating childhood obesity.