Classroom-based healthy eating workshops: are targeted motivational and volitional techniques effective at facilitating behaviour change?

Abstract

Background: The research objective is to examine the effectiveness of two targeted, classroom-based workshops containing motivational and volitional behaviour change techniques at encouraging dietary behaviour change in primary school children. Methods: A randomised controlled trial will be employed with three conditions: one workshop will utilise motivational techniques (information giving) and a second will combine motivational and volitional techniques (information giving and implementation intention planning). The third condition is a control comparison group. At least 52 participants, aged between seven and 11 years, will be recruited per condition. Two measures will assess intervention effectiveness: dietary behaviour (through the ‘Day in the Life Questionnaire’, a child-specific food diary) and psychological impact (e.g. attitudes and intentions) through a Theory of Planned Behaviour-based questionnaire. Measures will be administered at baseline, one month post-intervention and again three months later. Expected Results: It is anticipated that exposure to workshop conditions will have a positive effect on psychological and behavioural outcomes in comparison to the control condition and including the additional volitional component to the workshop will have a greater impact on outcomes. Current Stage of Work: The research has ethical approval. Baseline data collection is expected to commence during March 2016, with the workshops planned to be delivered during April 2016. Discussion: If successful, the results can contribute to the development of effective classroom-based methods to establish positive dietary behaviour habits during childhood. The development of such habits can have a positive impact on future eating behaviour, thus helping to address the increasing threat of obesity.