1
|
Humphreys L, Morley B, Nuss T, Dixon H, Ambrosini GL, O'Flaherty C, Ledger M, Sartori A, Wakefield M. Evaluation of the population-level impacts of the LiveLighter® obesity prevention campaign from 2012 to 2019 based on serial cross-sectional surveys. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:1016. [PMID: 38609966 PMCID: PMC11010377 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18462-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Halting and reversing the upward trend in obesity requires sustained implementation of comprehensive, evidence-based strategies at the population-level. The LiveLighter® program targets adults using a range of public education strategies, including mass media campaigns, to support healthy lifestyle changes to attain or maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of chronic disease. LiveLighter® has been implemented in Western Australia (WA) since 2012 and, to our knowledge, includes the longest running adult-targeted mass media campaign for healthy weight and lifestyle promotion and education globally. This evaluation assessed the impact of LiveLighter® on WA adults' knowledge, intentions and behaviours as they relate to healthy eating and body weight from 2012 to 2019. METHODS LiveLighter® mass media campaigns, which are TV-led and aired statewide, depict genuine, graphic imagery of visceral fat around internal organs to raise awareness about the link between excess body weight and chronic diseases; demonstrate how unhealthy food and drink consumption can contribute to unhealthy weight gain; and recommend healthy alternatives. Cross-sectional telephone surveys were conducted at baseline and following each campaign phase with an independent, randomly selected sample of WA adults aged 25 to 49 years (n = 501 to n = 1504 per survey) to assess their knowledge of the link between excess body weight and chronic diseases, and their intentions and behaviours related to healthy eating and weight. Multivariable logistic regression models were undertaken to assess differences in responses between baseline and each post-campaign survey. RESULTS Compared to baseline, there were significant increases in the proportion of respondents reporting knowledge of excess body weight as a risk factor for certain cancers and type 2 diabetes, intentions to eat more fruit and vegetables and drink less sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) in the next seven days, and the proportion of respondents who reported meeting guidelines for daily vegetable intake. Reported consumption of SSBs significantly decreased. CONCLUSIONS LiveLighter® is associated with improvements in knowledge of the health risks associated with excess body mass, increased vegetable intake and reduced SSB consumption in WA adults. These findings support the use of sustained, well-designed healthy lifestyle promotion and education programs as part of a comprehensive obesity prevention strategy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Belinda Morley
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Tegan Nuss
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Helen Dixon
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Curtin School of Population Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Gina L Ambrosini
- WA Department of Health, Perth, WA, Australia
- School of Population and Global Health, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | | | - Melissa Ledger
- Cancer Council Western Australia, Subiaco, WA, Australia
| | | | - Melanie Wakefield
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lahiouel A, Kellett J, Isbel S, D'Cunha NM. An Exploratory Study of Nutrition Knowledge and Challenges Faced by Informal Carers of Community-Dwelling People with Dementia: Online Survey and Thematic Analysis. Geriatrics (Basel) 2023; 8:77. [PMID: 37489325 PMCID: PMC10366724 DOI: 10.3390/geriatrics8040077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Nutrition knowledge is a primary factor influencing food choices and the ability to identify nutritional risk for carers of people with dementia. Acquiring nutrition knowledge helps carers monitor changes in food intake and micronutrient intake, and whether a healthy and balanced diet is being consumed. This study aimed to assess the nutrition knowledge of carers in the Australian community and their experiences with nutrition education. Using a mixed-methods approach, the nutrition knowledge of informal carers was assessed using the revised General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire (AUS-R-NKQ), and interviews of informal carers were used to explore the perspectives in a sub-sample. A total of 57 carers (44 females; mean age of 63.0 ± 13.1) completed the survey, and 11 carers participated in follow-up interviews. The total sample scored 22.9 (±4.57) out of 38 on the AUS-R-NKQ, suggesting basic nutrition knowledge. The interviewed carers acknowledged the importance of healthy nutrition but viewed the provision of a healthy diet for a person with dementia as challenging. In both the survey and interviews, carers reported limited use and availability of dementia-specific nutrition resources. Carers were unsatisfied with the advice and number of referrals provided to improve the nutrition of the person with dementia and desired less confusing nutrition education materials adapted to their level of knowledge. The present study highlights the need for informal carers to be supported to acquire adequate nutrition knowledge.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abdeljalil Lahiouel
- School of Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia
| | - Jane Kellett
- School of Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia
- Ageing Research Group, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia
| | - Stephen Isbel
- School of Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia
- Ageing Research Group, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia
| | - Nathan M D'Cunha
- School of Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia
- Ageing Research Group, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2617, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Toumpakari Z, Valerino-Perea S, Willis K, Adams J, White M, Vasiljevic M, Ternent L, Brown J, Kelly MP, Bonell C, Cummins S, Majeed A, Anderson S, Robinson T, Araujo-Soares V, Watson J, Soulsby I, Green D, Sniehotta FF, Jago R. Exploring views of members of the public and policymakers on the acceptability of population level dietary and active-travel policies: a qualitative study. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2023; 20:64. [PMID: 37259093 DOI: 10.1186/s12966-023-01465-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is limited evidence on what shapes the acceptability of population level dietary and active-travel policies in England. This information would be useful in the decision-making process about which policies should be implemented and how to increase their effectiveness and sustainability. To fill this gap, we explored public and policymakers' views about factors that influence public acceptability of dietary and active-travel policies and how to increase public acceptability for these policies. METHODS We conducted online, semi-structured interviews with 20 members of the public and 20 policymakers in England. A purposive sampling frame was used to recruit members of the public via a recruitment agency, based on age, sex, socioeconomic status and ethnicity. Policymakers were recruited from existing contacts within our research collaborations and via snowball sampling. We explored different dietary and active-travel policies that varied in their scope and focus. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic reflexive analysis with both inductive and deductive coding. RESULTS We identified four themes that informed public acceptability of dietary and active-travel policies: (1) perceived policy effectiveness, i.e., policies that included believable mechanisms of action, addressed valued co-benefits and barriers to engage in the behaviour; (2) perceived policy fairness, i.e., policies that provided everyone with an opportunity to benefit (mentioned only by the public), equally considered the needs of various population subgroups and rewarded 'healthy' behaviours rather than only penalising 'unhealthy' behaviours; (3) communication of policies, i.e., policies that were visible and had consistent and positive messages from the media (mentioned only by policymakers) and (4) how to improve policy support, with the main suggestion being an integrated strategy addressing multiple aspects of these behaviours, inclusive policies that consider everyone's needs and use of appropriate channels and messages in policy communication. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight that members' of the public and policymakers' support for dietary and active-travel policies can be shaped by the perceived effectiveness, fairness and communication of policies and provide suggestions on how to improve policy support. This information can inform the design of acceptable policies but can also be used to help communicate existing and future policies to maximise their adoption and sustainability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Z Toumpakari
- Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, 8 Priory Road, Bristol, BS8 1TZ, UK.
| | - S Valerino-Perea
- Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, 8 Priory Road, Bristol, BS8 1TZ, UK
| | - K Willis
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Canynge Hall, 39 Whatley Road, Bristol, BS8 2PS, UK
| | - J Adams
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - M White
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - M Vasiljevic
- Fuse - Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, Newcastle, UK
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - L Ternent
- Fuse - Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, Newcastle, UK
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - J Brown
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK
- SPECTRUM Consortium, London, UK
| | - M P Kelly
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - C Bonell
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - S Cummins
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - A Majeed
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, W6 8RP, UK
| | - S Anderson
- Fuse - Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, Newcastle, UK
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - T Robinson
- Fuse - Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, Newcastle, UK
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
- The National Institute for Health Research, Applied Research Collaboration Northeast and North Cumbria (NIHR ARC NENC), St Nicholas' Hospital, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Jubilee Road, Gosforth, NE3 3XT, UK
| | - V Araujo-Soares
- Fuse - Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, Newcastle, UK
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences, Department of Health Technology and Services Research, University of Twente, Twente, The Netherlands
| | - J Watson
- Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, 8 Priory Road, Bristol, BS8 1TZ, UK
- South Gloucestershire Council, Badminton Road, Yate, Bristol, BS37 5AF, UK
| | - I Soulsby
- Fuse - Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, Newcastle, UK
| | - D Green
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - F F Sniehotta
- Fuse - Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, Newcastle, UK
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
- Department for Public Health, Social and Preventive Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - R Jago
- Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, 8 Priory Road, Bristol, BS8 1TZ, UK
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Canynge Hall, 39 Whatley Road, Bristol, BS8 2PS, UK
- Applied Research Collaboration West (NIHR ARC West), The National Institute for Health Research, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, BS1 2NT, UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Jongenelis M, Dixon H, Scully M, Morley B. Exploring Intended and Unintended Reactions to Healthy Weight and Lifestyle Advertisements: An Online Experiment. Health Educ Behav 2023; 50:58-69. [PMID: 35758183 DOI: 10.1177/10901981221104727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To address concerns that healthy weight and lifestyle campaigns (HWLCs) could have unintended psychological or behavioral consequences, this study tested reactions to TV advertisements from two HWLCs: LiveLighter® (employs graphic health effects messaging) and Swap It Don't Stop It (employs animation and light-hearted messaging). METHODS An online between-subjects experiment tested reactions to one of five advertisements: "Toxic Fat"; "Sugary Drinks" (both from LiveLighter); "Become a Swapper"; "How to Swap It" (both from Swap It); and "HSBC Bank" (control) among 2,208 adults from Western Australia and Victoria, Australia. Responses assessed were cognitive and emotional reactions, behavioral intentions, internalized weight bias, antifat attitudes, self-esteem and body dissatisfaction. RESULTS The HWLC advertisements prompted favorable cognitive reactions and weak to neutral positive and negative emotional responses. HWLC advertisements promoted stronger intentions to engage in adaptive lifestyle behaviors compared with the control advertisement. Intention to engage in maladaptive behaviors (e.g., skipping meals) was low overall and did not differ by condition. Compared with the control condition, participants who saw LiveLighter "Sugary Drinks" showed weaker disagreement with antifat attitudes; however, mean antifat attitude scores were still at the low end of the scale. HWLC advertisements did not promote internalized weight bias, reduced self-esteem or body dissatisfaction compared with the control advertisement. CONCLUSIONS Overall, HWLC advertisements performed favorably compared with the control advertisement and showed no clear evidence of adverse impacts. Findings suggest HWLC advertisements may not promote negative psychological and behavioral consequences and can continue to be used in obesity prevention efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Helen Dixon
- The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia.,Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Maree Scully
- Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hammond D, Vanderlee L, White CM, Acton RB, White M, Roberto CA, Cameron A, Sacks G, Kirkpatrick S, Dubin J, Adams J, Jauregui A, Thrasher JF. The Conceptual Framework for the International Food Policy Study: Evaluating the Population-Level Impact of Food Policy. J Nutr 2022; 152:1S-12S. [PMID: 35274695 PMCID: PMC9188864 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxac042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
An unhealthy diet is among the leading global causes of death and disability. Globally, a range of policies are being implemented to support healthy food choices at a population level, including novel polices in the areas of food marketing, nutrition labeling, and taxation of less healthy foods. There is a need to evaluate and inform the implementation of these policies, including their impacts on marginalized population subgroups. The International Food Policy Study (IFPS) consists of repeated cross-sectional surveys conducted in 5 high- and upper-middle-income countries: Australia, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In each country, approximately 4000 adults and 1200 children and youth (aged 10-17) were recruited from a global commercial panel to complete an online survey using consistent measures and methodologies across countries. The first annual IFPS surveys were conducted in 2017 with adults; annual surveys for young people aged 10-17 were launched in 2019 in the same countries, as well as in Chile. The design of the IFPS surveys creates a framework for evaluating "natural experiments" in food policies, including comparisons over time within countries implementing the policy and comparisons with countries in which the policy was not implemented. IFPS surveys have 3 primary areas of focus: 1) knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs associated with specific policies; 2) diet-related behaviors; and 3) dietary intake, including 24-hour dietary recalls for adults in 4 of the 5 countries. Surveys also assess food insecurity, income adequacy, sex and gender, race/ethnicity, and a range of other measures to assess trends among priority subgroups. Overall, the IFPS project has the potential to address important gaps in national monitoring surveys for dietary patterns, and to evaluate the impacts of novel food policies implemented in any of the 5 countries over the study period.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lana Vanderlee
- École de Nutrition, Centre Nutrition, santé et société (Centre NUTRISS), and Institut sur la nutrition et les aliments fonctionnels (INAF), Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Christine M White
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rachel B Acton
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Martin White
- Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Christina A Roberto
- Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Adrian Cameron
- Global Obesity Centre, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Gary Sacks
- Global Obesity Centre, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Sharon Kirkpatrick
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joel Dubin
- Department Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Jean Adams
- Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Alejandra Jauregui
- Centre for Health and Nutrition Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - James F Thrasher
- Department of Health Promotion, Education & Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Acton RB, Vanderlee L, Adams J, Kirkpatrick SI, Pedraza LS, Sacks G, White CM, White M, Hammond D. Tax awareness and perceived cost of sugar-sweetened beverages in four countries between 2017 and 2019: findings from the international food policy study. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2022; 19:38. [PMID: 35361251 PMCID: PMC8973878 DOI: 10.1186/s12966-022-01277-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The public health benefits of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes often rely on, among other things, changes to consumer purchases. Thus, perceived cost of SSBs and signalling effects-via awareness of the tax-may impact the effectiveness of SSB taxes on consumer purchases. OBJECTIVE The study sought to examine perceived cost of SSBs, tax awareness, and changes in beverage purchasing over time and across four countries with and without SSB taxes. METHODS The study used data from the 2017, 2018 and 2019 waves of the International Food Policy Study. Annual cross-sectional online surveys were conducted in Australia, Mexico, UK and US, which captured perceived cost of SSBs relative to non-SSBs in all countries (with Australia as a no-tax comparator), and measures of tax awareness and participants' reported changes in beverage purchasing in response to SSB taxes in Mexico (tax implemented in 2014), UK (tax implemented in 2018) and US (subnational taxes since 2015). Logistic regression models evaluated the measures across years and socio-demographic groups. RESULTS Perceived cost of SSBs relative to non-SSBs was higher in Mexico (all three years) and the UK (2018 and 2019 following tax implementation) than Australia and the US. Tax awareness was higher in UK than Mexico, and decreased over time among Mexican respondents. Patterns of reported beverage purchasing changes in response to the tax were similar across Mexico, UK and US, with the largest changes reported by Mexican respondents. Respondents with characteristics corresponding to lower socioeconomic status were less likely to be aware of an SSB tax, but more likely to perceive SSBs to cost more than non-SSBs and report changes in purchasing in response to the tax, where there was one. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that in countries where a national SSB tax was present (Mexico, UK), perceived cost of SSBs and tax awareness were higher compared to countries with no SSB tax (Australia) or subnational SSB taxes (US), respectively, and suggests that perceived cost and tax awareness represent distinct constructs. Improving the 'signalling effect' of existing SSB taxes may be warranted, particularly in tax settings where consumer behaviour change is a policy objective.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel B Acton
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Lana Vanderlee
- École de Nutrition, Centre de Nutrition, Santé Et Société (NUTRISS), Université Laval, 2425 rue de L'Agriculture, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Jean Adams
- Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR), MRC Epidemiology Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Box 285, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Sharon I Kirkpatrick
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Lilia S Pedraza
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Col. Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Cerrada los Pinos Y Caminera, Av. Universidad 655, C.P. 62100, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Gary Sacks
- Global Obesity Centre, Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia
| | - Christine M White
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Martin White
- Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR), MRC Epidemiology Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Box 285, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - David Hammond
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|