Effect of a nutrition intervention on intake of vegetables, fruits, and semi whole grain bread among low and high consumers in the Norwegian National Guard

Abstract

Background: Nutritional information seldom reaches individuals with the most unhealthful dietary habits.

Objective: To explore whether an intervention focusing on a combination of nutritional information and increased availability of vegetables, fruits, and semi whole grain bread was effective to raise the intake, and knowledge, of these foods among recruits in the military with low as well as high baseline intake.

Methods: Intervention study, including 479 recruits, in intervention and control military camps. The participants were divided into three groups (low, medium, and high) according to their baseline intake of vegetables, fruits, and semi whole grain bread.

Results: Those with low/medium baseline intake in the intervention camp had a significant increase in the intake of vegetables, fruits, and semi whole grain bread at follow-up. All three intake groups in the intervention camp also had significantly higher intake of these foods compared to those in the control camp at follow-up. The knowledge scores increased significantly among both high and low consumers in the intervention camp, but not in the control camp.

Conclusion: The intervention led to increased intake of vegetables, fruits, and semi whole grain bread among those recruits in the intervention camp, who were most in need to change their diet.