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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2021 Jul 30;100(30):e26563.
doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000026563.

Effect of community-based nutritional counseling intervention on children's eating habits

Ibiwari Caroline Dike  1 , Elizabeth N Ebizie  1 , Chiamaka Adaobi Chukwuone  2 , Ngozi Juliana Ejiofor  1 , Chinwe Christiana Anowai  2 , Ezeda Kalu Ogbonnaya  2 , Eunice Ifenyinwa Ugwu  2 , Udeagha Scholastica Nkechinyere  2 , Eberechukwu Francisca Chigbu  3 , Margret N Ezeaku  2 , Grace Chinyere Nnadi  3 , Ekomaru Chinyere Ihuoma  4 , Nguvan Patience Gera  5 , Justina Ndirika Chikwendu  6
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effect of community-based nutritional counseling intervention on children's eating habits

Ibiwari Caroline Dike et al. Medicine (Baltimore). .

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to assess the outcome of community-based nutritional counseling interventions on eating habits of rural-dwelling children.

Methods: A group-randomized trial design was used in this study. A total of 108 rural-dwelling children from a community in the Enugu North agricultural zone, Enugu State, who participated in the study. The children were randomly assigned to 2 groups: the treatment group (n = 54) and the no-treatment control group (n = 54). The child eating behavior questionnaire was used for data collection. Parents of the participating children within each study group completed the child eating behavior questionnaire at 3 time points. The data collected were analyzed using an independent sample t test at a probability level of .05.

Result: The outcome of the study showed that the children's eating habits in the treatment group improved positively following the community-based nutritional counseling intervention. The positive gain from exposure to the community-based nutritional counseling intervention program was sustained during follow-up for children in the treatment group compared with the no-treatment group.

Conclusion: The community-based nutrition counseling intervention carried out among children in rural communities had a positive adjustment in children's eating habits. The intervention requires the constant collaboration of professional childhood educators, caregivers, home economists, school staff, healthcare specialists, families, and the children themselves. Furthermore, there is a need for future long-term evaluations of the effects of community-based nutritional counseling interventions on children's nutrition and eating habits.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Graphical presentation of sample size. This legend shows the results of the sample size determination based on a statistical power.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Graphical presentation. This legend shows the effect of intervention on children's eating habits.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Flow diagram. This legend shows the distribution of participants in the treatment and control groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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