Messaging for Healthy Nutrition

Overseen By Study Team

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Stanford University

Disqualifiers: Age, School grade, State, Internet, Facebook, Meals, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

Duration: 6 weeks

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if online messages can encourage parents to have their children eat more school meals. Participants will view messages highlighting the benefits of school meals, while another group will see messages about reading. The trial targets parents of children in grades 1-5 who attend public school and currently eat three or fewer school meals per week. Participants must reside in certain states and have internet access and a Facebook account.

As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity for parents to contribute to research that could enhance children's nutrition and increase school meal participation.

Do I have to stop taking my current medications to join the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems unlikely that medication use would affect participation, as the study focuses on children's school meal participation.

What prior data suggests that these school meal messages are safe for children?

In a previous study, researchers examined the impact of school meal programs on children's diets. They found that children who eat school meals tend to have healthier diets, consuming more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. This finding suggests that promoting healthy eating through school meal messages could be beneficial.

As this study focuses on messaging, it involves no physical treatment or medication, eliminating safety concerns related to physical health. Participants will only view messages about the benefits of school meals, ensuring the study is safe and free from the risk of harmful physical effects. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it explores how messaging can influence healthy nutrition choices among children. Unlike traditional methods that focus solely on providing nutritional information, this trial uses targeted messages based on insights from parent interviews to promote the benefits of school meals. This approach aims to not only inform but also engage parents and influence their decisions positively by tapping into relatable and emotionally resonant content. By comparing these messages to neutral ones about reading, researchers hope to uncover the power of strategic communication in encouraging healthier eating habits in schools.

What evidence suggests that school meal messages could be effective for increasing children's school meal participation?

Research shows that eating school meals links to healthier diets for children. In this trial, participants will view messages highlighting the benefits of children eating school meals. Studies have found that kids who eat these meals tend to have better quality diets, including more nutrients, whole grains, and fruits. Additionally, evidence indicates that millions of students in school meal programs experience better health and learning outcomes. These programs are especially beneficial in low-income areas, improving overall nutrition and diet quality. Overall, participating in school meals associates with better health and nutrition for children. ^{1 5 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Anna Grummon, PhD

Principal Investigator

Assistant Professor

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for parents of children who don't often eat school meals. It's designed to see if certain online messages can encourage kids to participate more in school meal programs.

Inclusion Criteria

Resides in one of the following states: California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Vermont

Has internet access

Has a Facebook account

Exclusion Criteria

Does not have a child attending a public school in grades 1-5

Does not have a Facebook account

I am under 18 years old.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Treatment

Participants are exposed to either control or experimental messages in private Facebook groups over a 6-week period

6 weeks

Online participation

Follow-up

Participants complete surveys to assess changes in attitudes and behaviors regarding school meal participation

1-2 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• School meal messages

Trial Overview The study is testing whether an online marketing campaign with specific messages can increase the number of children eating school meals, compared to a control group receiving neutral messages.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: School meal messages Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants will view messages focused on the benefits of children eating school meals, using text and images developed based on parent interviews. Participants will view a total of 10 messages.

Group II: Control (neutral) messages Active Control 1 Intervention

Participants will view messages focused on the benefits of children reading. Messages will be matched in length to the experimental messages. Participants will view a total of 10 messages.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Stanford University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

2,527

Recruited

17,430,000+

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Collaborator

Trials

161

Recruited

697,000+

Citations

1. academic.oup.com academic.oup.com/heapro/article/40/5/daaf151/8269813

'I want food to be tasty and healthy': school-children's ... Involving children and adolescents in designing food messaging and nutrition education is best practice and enacts their right to participate in ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6064655/

Eating school meals daily is associated with healthier ... Some studies found school meal consumption to be associated with higher diet quality, higher nutrient density, higher consumption of whole grains and/or fruits ...

3. frac.org frac.org/wp-content/uploads/School-Meals-are-Essential-Health-and-Learning_FNL.pdf

School Meals are Essential for Student Health and Learning More than 14.6 million students eat a school breakfast and. 29.7 million students eat a school lunch on a typical school day, based on data from the 2018–2019 ...

4. schoolnutrition.org schoolnutrition.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Impact-of-Child-Nutrition-Programs-Offered-in-Schools-on-Daily-Nutrition-and-Dietary-Quality-Spring-2022.pdf

Impact-of-Child-Nutrition-Programs-Offered-in-Schools-on- ... Results of the study show possible support for why schools might implement all four Child. Nutrition Programs. This may be especially important in low-income ...

5. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743514000905

Nutrient content of school meals before and after ... District A reduced mean calories by 15.7%, mean sugar by 32.4%, and mean sodium by 21.6% for its lunches. District D was able to achieve similar results, while ...

6. schoolnutrition.org schoolnutrition.org/about-school-meals/school-meal-statistics/

School Meal Statistics In a recent SNA survey of meal program directors nationwide, virtually all cited challenges with the cost of food (97.9%), labor (94.9%) and equipment (91.4%).

7. usda.gov usda.gov/about-usda/news/blog/healthier-foods-healthier-minds

Healthier Foods, Healthier Minds Studies find that students who participate in school meal programs consume more whole grains, milk, fruits, and vegetables during mealtimes and enjoy better ...

8. cdc.gov cdc.gov/school-nutrition/education/index.html

Nutrition Education | School Nutrition Schools can add messages about nutrition and healthy eating into the following: Morning announcements. School assemblies. Materials sent ...