Bacardí-Gascón M, Murillo-González MJ, Jiménez-Cruz A

Language: Spanish
References: 11
Page: 17-23
PDF size: 52.31 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Introduction. The assessment of food guides is required to evaluate the degree of understanding of any displayed messages and to determine their effect on the target population to design and follow a healthy diet. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Apple of Health (AH) on teenagers designing a healthy diet over a 24 month period.
Material and methods. Seventy-two first year middle school students (32 boys and 46 girls), age 12± 0.6 (11-14 y) participated in the study. At the first meeting students were asked to design a healthy menu. A week later, a poster displaying the Apple of Health was shown to the students and they were asked to design a healthy menu based on the AH messages. A week later, the messages depicted in the Apple of Health were explained to the students who were then asked to design a healthy menu. The AH poster was left on display in the classroom during the following two years. 24 months later the students were asked to design a healthy menu according to the AH. Efficacy assessment was conducted through a diet score for both the menu and for the consumption of portions from each group in adequate quantities. A diet score was completed giving one point for every portion from each group included in the menu plus one point for adequate quantities of portions within the range of the AH messages. The highest diet score was 10, which would equate to a healthy diet according to the AH.
Results. Overweight teenagers and those with lower Spanish grades had a significantly lower diet score. Fruit and vegetable consumption was very low in most teenagers. Overweight teenagers reported lower consumption of grains and cereals, milk and milk products, and meat and meat products. The diet score of the menu designed 24 months later was significantly higher (P ‹ 0.001). Overweight teenagers and those with lower Spanish grades had a significantly lower diet score.
Discussion. These results suggest that the Apple of Health could be an effective long-term tool to improve the design of a healthy diet and that improving Spanish grades might improve the efficacy of the AH.

REFERENCES

1. 1.- Hunt KM, Stoddard AM, Glanz K, Hebert JR, Probort C, Sorensen G, Thomson S, Hixson Ml, Linnan, Palombo R. Measures of food choice behavior related to intervention messages in worksite health promotion. J Nut Educ 1997; 29: 1,2-11.

2. 2.- Bacardí M, Jiménez A. Guías Alimentarías en México: La necesidad de evaluación. Rev Esp Nut Com 1997; 3:5-12.

3. 3.- National Research Council. Diet and Health. Implications for reducing chronic disease risk. Washington, D C: National Academy Press, 1989.

4. 4.- Bacardí-Gascón M., Jiménez-Cruz A, Jones E. En evaluation of two Mexican food guides. Int J Food Sci Nut 2002; 53: 163-9.

5. 5.- Chavez A, Chavez M, Riso E, Madrigal H. Guías de Alimentación: conceptos practices para alcanzar y mantener un buen estado de nutrición y salud. México. Instituto Nacional de Nutrición. 1993.

6. 6.- Jiménez-Cruz A, Jones Elizabeth, Bacardí-Gascón M. La Manzana de la Salud: Divulgare 1996; 4:12-15.

7. 7.- Casanueva E, Duran E, Kaufer M, Plazas M, Polo E, Toussaint G, et al. Fundamentos de el plato del buen comer. Cuadernos de Nutritición 2002; 25:21-8.

8. 8.- Bacardí-Gascón M, Jiménez-Cruz A, Sánchez-Aguirre C, Jiménez-Morán E, Santillana-Marín E, Tellez-Amezcua M, Torres-Lee F. Efficacy of a mexican food guide: a quantitative evaluation in school age children. Rev Bioméd 2004; 15: 93-100.

9. 9.- Jiménez-Cruz A, Bacardí-Gascón M, Rosales-Garay P, Herrera-Espinoza J, Willis OW. A culturally sensitive tool for Mexican people with diabetes: La Manzana de la Salud. Rev Biomed 2003; 14:51-9.

10. 10.- Hovell M, Hillman E, Blumberg E, et al. A behavioral-ecological model of adolescent sexual development: a template for AIDS prevention. Journal of Sex Research 1994; 31:267-89.

11. 11.- Jiménez-Cruz A, Bacardí-Gascón M, Jones E. Consumption of fruits, vegetables, soft drink, and high-fat-containing snacks among Mexican children on the México-US Border, Arch Med Res 2002; 33: 74-80.