UPM Institutional Repository

Evaluation of the effectiveness of a 3-year, teacher-led Healthy Lifestyle Program on eating behaviors among adolescents living in day school hostels in Malaysia


Citation

Teng, Chian Yi and Chin, Yit Siew and Mohd Taib, Mohd Nasir and Chan, Yoke Mun (2018) Evaluation of the effectiveness of a 3-year, teacher-led Healthy Lifestyle Program on eating behaviors among adolescents living in day school hostels in Malaysia. FOOD AND NUTRITION BULLETIN, 39 (4). 595 - 607.

Abstract

Background: Independence gained during adolescence may be associated with unhealthy eating behaviors. Although malnutrition among adolescents is evident, studies on eating behaviors among adolescents are scarce. Objective: To determine the effectiveness of a teacher-led Healthy Lifestyle Program on eating behaviors among adolescents in Malaysia. Methods: This was a cluster randomized controlled trial (conducted in 2012 to 2014), with 100 schools randomly selected from 721 schools, then assigned to 50 intervention schools and 50 control schools. A Healthy Eating and Be Active among Teens (HEBAT) module was developed for pretrained teachers to deliver a Healthy Lifestyle Program on eating behaviors among adolescents. Eating behaviors of the respondents was determined using Eating Behaviors Questionnaire. Linear Mixed Model analysis and χ2 test were used to determine within- and between-group effects of studied variables. Results: A total of 4277 respondents participated in this study, with 2635 samples involved in the final analysis, comprised of 921 intervention and 1714 control respondents. There were 32.4% (36.4%) males and 67.6% (63.6%) females in the intervention (control) group. Mean age was comparable between the groups (intervention = 12.98 years; control = 12.97 years). Majority of the respondents skipped meals at baseline (intervention = 74.7%; control = 79.5%). After the program, intervention respondents had higher consumption frequency of lunch, dinner, and mid-morning snack but a lower consumption frequency of late-evening snack and meal skipping behaviors than their control counterparts. Conclusion: The teacher-led Healthy Lifestyle Program was effective in reducing meal-skipping behaviors among Malaysian adolescents.


Download File

[img] Text
Evaluation of the effectiveness.pdf

Download (55kB)

Additional Metadata

Item Type: Article
Divisions: Faculty of Medicine and Health Science
DOI Number: https://doi.org/10.1177/0379572118795358
Keywords: Adolescents; Eating behaviors; Meal skipping; Snacking; Teacher-led healthy lifestyle program
Depositing User: Nurul Ainie Mokhtar
Date Deposited: 19 Nov 2020 03:16
Last Modified: 19 Nov 2020 03:16
Altmetrics: http://www.altmetric.com/details.php?domain=psasir.upm.edu.my&doi=10.1177/0379572118795358
URI: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/72647
Statistic Details: View Download Statistic

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item