Study on eHealth Interventions and Children’s Eating Habits in Switzerland

Overview of the Research

A recent study published in the Nutrition Journal explored the impact of eHealth interventions on the dietary habits of children in Switzerland. The findings reveal that both adults and children in the country tend to consume excessive amounts of meat while lacking sufficient intake of fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, Switzerland faces a significant obesity issue, particularly pronounced in the state of Canton Ticino.

Intervention Strategies

To address these concerns, various intervention strategies have been proposed, with social marketing being a recommended approach by the World Health Organization (WHO). Social marketing utilizes marketing techniques to promote health improvements, particularly through digital platforms.

Defining eHealth

eHealth refers to the integration of information and communication technology in health-related initiatives. Examples include websites, SMS, and emails that deliver health information directly to consumers. These tools have demonstrated effectiveness in altering health behaviors.

Details of the Current Study

In the study featured in the Nutrition Journal, researchers assessed the efficacy of different eHealth interventions aimed at enhancing food consumption among children. They developed an online social marketing program named Famiglia, Attività fiscia, Nutrizone (FAN) specifically for residents of Ticino to foster healthier eating habits.

Study Eligibility and Methodology

Eligibility for participation included residing in Ticino, fluency in Italian, access to the internet, a cell phone, and an email address, as well as having children in their first two years of high school or younger. Researchers distributed information packages to children at school, encouraging their parents to register for FAN.

Upon registration, parents completed a survey regarding their children’s eating habits and anthropometric data. Participants were then randomly assigned to one of three groups:
1. Receiving information via the web only
2. Receiving information through both web and email
3. Receiving information through web and SMS

The web-only group served as the control group based on previous findings indicating that web interventions can enhance health behaviors.

Intervention Components

The intervention provided parents access to personalized nutrition and exercise information via a dedicated website, while children received letters by mail. The website offered recipes and suggestions for incorporating healthy alternatives, with weekly themes such as “You are off to a good start and that is half the battle!” and “Lunch and snacks with imagination.” An online forum facilitated interaction among participants and a dietitian. Additionally, participants in the web and email or web and SMS groups received weekly summaries of the nutritional themes, including links to the website for further engagement.

Results of the Study

The study revealed an increase in fruit and water consumption across all groups, alongside a decrease in soft drink and sweets consumption. At the study’s conclusion, vegetable intake remained unchanged from baseline levels, with a notable increase only among participants who received information via web and SMS.

Implications and Future Research

This study sheds light on the dietary habits of children in Ticino, an area where such data was previously lacking. However, a larger sample size is necessary to generalize the findings to the broader population. The high proportion of six-year-old participants may not accurately represent the age distribution of children in Ticino. Future research could explore the impact of directly providing eHealth interventions to children rather than directing them solely to parents.

Conclusion

Written by Monica Naatey-Ahumah, BSc
Reference: Rangelov, N., Bella, S.D., Marques-Vidal, P., and S, L.S. (2018). Does additional support provided through e-mail or SMS in a Web-based Social Marketing program improve children’s food consumption? A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrition Journal 17(24). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-018-0334-1