Effect of health promotion interventions on small portion size consumption behavior among college students

Abstract

Background: Large food portion size is contributing toward overweight and obesity rates and has been found directly proportional to increase in portion size. Objectives: The study was done to see the effect of health promotion intervention on small portion size consumption behavior using multitheory model (MTM). Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted among students of age groups 18 - 21 years in two different colleges from North India between 2019 to 2020. About 150 participants in the intervention group as well as control group were selected and health promotion intervention in the form of motivational group counseling, one-to-one counseling, Power Point presentations, lectures, and messages were given to participants in intervention group. Difference in difference of proportions for meal consumption behavior and the difference in the difference of means for body mass index, waist–hip ratio and for constructs of MTM for portion size consumption behavior were calculated. Paired t-test was used to test the significance between the continuous variables. Results: There was a significant reduction (46% vs. 11%, P < 0.001) in proportion of participants consuming large portion-sized meals in the intervention group as compared to the control group. The mean change in constructs (participatory dialogues,behavioral confidence, change in physical environment, emotional transformation and practice for change) for portion size consumption behavior of participants in the intervention and control groups at base line and end line was found statistically significant. Conclusion: MTM is a useful tool for health promotion and health education to predict the initiation and sustenance of health behavior change.

Keywords

• college students
• health promotion
• intervention
• multitheory model
• portion size