Reducing the Use of Sugar by School Lunch Cooks in Public Schools

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The main objective was to evaluate the effect of a nutritional education program for school lunch cooks, aiming to reduce added sugar in schools meals and in their sugar intake.

Detailed Description
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Although Brazil is the largest producer and one of the world's largest consumers of sugar, research on sugar consumption is still a weak point among health indicators and there are no population studies to investigate the sugar intake in Brazilian population. Available data have shown reduction in the consumption of refined sugar (-37% between 1996 and 2003) but significant increase in consumption of soft drinks (400%), which constitute the main vehicle for consumption of added sugar. Moreover, studies have shown the adverse effects of excessive consumption of added sugar in dental caries and health, as excess energy intake hence in weight gain. Although several factors are associated with weight gain in adolescents, adults and elders, and several strategies have been released by both Brazil and International Agencies, as the Global Strategy, increased weight gain, particularly in adolescents, has been observed in several countries with large increase in Brazil, justifying specific projects to evaluate which messages, strategies and proposals for intervention would be effective.

Official Title
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Reducing the Use and the Consumption of Sugar by School Lunch Cooks in Public Schools: a Cluster Randomized Trial

Conditions
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Sugar Intake

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Nutritional education
* Other: Control


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Women who were working in the function of school lunch cook in the schools. Exclusion Criteria: Pregnancy, male.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 65 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Female

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Nutritional education<br> | Other: Nutritional education<br>* A nutritional education program was carried out during seven months of one school year aiming to reduce added sugar in school meals by the school lunch cooks and in their own consumption. All women in the intervention group participated in three sections about sugar consumption and one section on food labeling, as well as recipes competition of with reducing sugar. Printed material and gifts, such as mugs, refrigerator magnets and small purses with the logo of the campaign were given to the participants. All sections of education were delivered in the schools. The activities required 20 to 30 minutes and were facilitated by trained research assistants. Printed instructions and orientations on the facilitation process supported the assistants' efforts.<br>* Other names: School lunch cooks;|
| No Intervention: Control<br> | Other: Control<br>* The control group received only three one-hour general sessions on health issues.<br>* Other names: General sessions on health issues;|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sugar intake | Reducing added sugar in the schools meals by school lunch cooks and in their sugar intake. | 10 months | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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School children, Sugar intake, Nutritional education program