Family environmental factors do not explain differences in the behavioral effect of a healthy diet promotion program in lower vocational schools among 12- to 14-year-old adolescents

Purpose. Assess whether family environmental factors affected changes in fruit and snack consumption among 12- to 14-year-old adolescents participating in a Dutch healthy diet promotion program.

Design. Data were derived from pretest and posttest questionnaires completed by adolescents in 10 schools in the intervention arm of the program trial and questionnaires completed by their parents during program implementation.

Setting. Lower vocational schools in the southern and central parts of The Netherlands.

Subjects. Questionnaire answers of 502 parents were matched with those of their children.

Intervention. Eight school lessons using various theory-based materials and strategies.

Measures. Dietary intake, ethnicity, education level, employment status, parenting style, food purchase considerations, family food rules, and food availability and accessibility at home.

Analysis. Regression analyses.

Results. No significant family environmental predictors of program-induced changes in either fruit or snack intake were found.

Conclusion. A limitation of the study was that all data were self-reported. No evidence was found that there were subgroups of adolescents who profited less from the program because of family environmental factors.