Details and acceptability of a nutrition intervention programme designed to improve the contents of children's packed lunches

Abstract

Objective: To describe the 'Smart Lunch Box' intervention and provide details on feedback from the participants on the acceptability and usability of the intervention materials.

Design: A cluster randomised controlled trial, randomised by school. English schools were stratified on percentage free-school-meals eligibility and attainment at Key Stage 2. A 'Smart Lunch Box' with supporting materials and activities on healthy eating was delivered to parents and children via schools in the intervention group. Feedback forms containing information on a total of fifteen intervention items were filled out by the parents and/or children participating in the intervention and were collected after each of the three phases of the intervention.

Setting: Eighty-nine primary schools in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, randomly selected; forty-four schools in the intervention arm.

Subjects: A total of 1294 children, aged 9-10 years, took part in the trial. Of the 604 children in the intervention arm, 343 provided feedback after at least one of the three phases.

Results: A median of twelve items out of a total of fifteen were used by responders. The two intervention items most likely to be used were the individual food boxes and the cooler bags. Whether a participant liked an item significantly affected whether they used it for all items except the cooler bag, fruity face and individual food boxes.

Conclusions: Practical intervention items aimed at parents are likely to be used in the longer term and therefore may be appropriate for use in an intervention strategy to improve packed lunches.