Impact of Nudge Strategies on Nutrition Education Participation in Child Care: Randomized Controlled Trial

Alice Grady; Courtney Barnes; Melanie Lum; Jannah Jones; Sze Lin Yoong

doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2020.11.017

Impact of Nudge Strategies on Nutrition Education Participation in Child Care: Randomized Controlled Trial

J Nutr Educ Behav. 2021 Feb;53(2):151-156. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2020.11.017.

Authors

Alice Grady¹, Courtney Barnes², Melanie Lum², Jannah Jones², Sze Lin Yoong³

Affiliations

¹ School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia; Hunter New England Population Health, Wallsend, New South Wales, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia; Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
² School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia; Hunter New England Population Health, Wallsend, New South Wales, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia; Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.
³ School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia; Hunter New England Population Health, Wallsend, New South Wales, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia; Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia; Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia.

PMID: 33573767
DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2020.11.017

Abstract

Objective: To assess the impact of incorporating nudge strategies in the design of a nutrition education workshop invitation on workshop registration among early childhood education and care centers.

Methods: A parallel-group randomized controlled trial was conducted with 88 centers. Centers received nudge strategies embedded within an enhanced invitation (intervention) or a generic invitation (control) to attend a nutrition education workshop. Center workshop registration and invitation recall and acceptability were compared between the 2 arms.

Results: No statistically significant differences in workshop registration (25% vs 20%; P = 0.61), invitation recall (69% vs 62%; P = 0.58) or acceptability (mean: 8.38 vs 8.06; P = 0.50) were found between intervention and control centers, respectively.

Conclusions and implications: Low-intensity behavioral strategies embedded in the design of an invitation were insufficient to increase workshop registration significantly. Investigation and application of alternate evidence-based nudge strategies to encourage staff participation in nutrition education in early childhood education and care setting are recommended.

Keywords: child care; guidelines; nudge; nutrition; randomized controlled trial.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Child
Child Care*
Child Health
Child, Preschool
Diet*
Health Education*
Humans

Associated data

ANZCTR/ACTRN12619001006134