Table 5 Theory-based methods and practical strategies to achieve the change objectives for selected program objectives of the simple suppers intervention
Program objective | Level of intervention | Determinant | Change objective | Theory-based method | Theory | Practical strategy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Increase frequency of family meals prepared in the home (≥5 days/week)a | Individual (child) | Behavioral capability | CO1.1.1, CO1.1.2 | • Facilitation | • SCT | • Learn new age-appropriate cooking skills at each Simple Suppers lesson • Discuss food safety and cleanup with Educators |
CO1.1.1, CO1.1.2 | • Vicarious learning | • SCT | • Children divided into three age groups (4–5 years olds; 6–8 years olds; 9–10 year olds) for nutrition education & engagement in food preparation | |||
CO1.1.1, CO1.1.2 | • Mastery experience | • SCT | • Learned food prep skills accrued/practiced over lessons | |||
Self-efficacy | CO2.1 | • Facilitation | • SCT | • Educators provide guidance & feedback as children learn/practice food prep skills | ||
CO2.1 | • Vicarious learning | • SCT | • Participate in cooking activities with peers of the same age | |||
CO2.1 | • Mastery experience | • SCT | • Practice cooking skills learned during Simple Suppers at home | |||
Self-evaluation | CO3.1 | • Self-monitoring | • SCT | • Establish weekly goal during Simple Suppers to practice newly learned cooking skill at home • Weekly goals are reinforced by sharing goal with caregivers during Simple Suppers family meal | ||
CO3.1 | • Feedback | • SCT | • Discuss cooking skills used at home during past week with Educators and peers during Simple Suppers | |||
Norms, modeling, reinforcement | CO4.1.1, CO4.1.2 | • Facilitation | • SCT | • Engage in family meal cooking activities with peers and Educators during Simple Suppers • Decorate/wear aprons for food prep during Simple Suppers and at home • Share cooking skills learned each week with caregivers at start of Simple Suppers group family meals • Lead cleanup at Simple Suppers family meals • Families receive take-home cooking utensil during each Simple Suppers lesson | ||
CO4.1.1, CO4.1.2 | • Mastery experience | • SCT | • Repeated engagement in family meal cooking during Simple Suppers • Weekly goal established to engage in family meal food prep at home | |||
Interpersonal (caregiver) | Behavioral capability | CO1.2.1, CO1.2.2, CO1.3.1, CO1.3.2, CO1.4.1, CO1.4.2, CO1.4.3, CO1.5.1, CO1.5.2, CO1.6, CO1.7 | • Active learning | • ALT | • Educators use 4A method to lead weekly caregiver discussions • Educators engage caregivers in games, meal planning & goal-setting related to weekly lesson topics | |
CO1.3.2, CO1.4.2, CO1.4.3, CO1.5.2, CO1.6, CO1.7 | • Facilitation | • SCT | • Educators provide resources (e.g., recipe book, coupons, store ads) to plan family meals using skills learned at each lesson | |||
CO1.2.1, CO1.2.2, CO1.3.2, CO1.4.2, CO1.4.3, CO1.5.2, CO1.6, CO1.7 | • Problem solving | • ALT | • Caregivers set weekly goals & discuss successes/challenges with meeting goals with Educators & other caregivers • Educators & caregivers provide suggestions to help peer caregivers overcome challenges preventing them from reaching their goals | |||
CO1.2.1, CO1.2.2, CO1.3.1, CO1.3.2, CO1.4.1, CO1.4.2, CO1.4.3, CO1.5.1, CO1.5.2, CO1.6, CO1.7 | • Vicarious learning | • SCT | • Caregivers acquire new knowledge through peer discussions • Caregivers participate in games, goal-setting & menu planning with peer caregivers | |||
CO1.3.2, CO1.4.3, CO1.5.2, CO1.6, CO1.7 | • Mastery experience | • SCT | • Caregivers plan ≥1 family meal using skills learned each week to practice skills at home | |||
Self-efficacy | CO2.3, CO2.4.1, CO2.4.2, CO2.5.1, CO2.5.2, CO2.6, CO2.7 | • Feedback | • SCT | • Discuss challenges and successes with weekly family meals goal. • Problem solve with peers to overcome challenges | ||
CO2.3, CO2.4.1, CO2.4.2, CO2.5.1, CO2.5.2, CO2.6, CO2.7 | • Social support | • SCT | • Post goal successes and challenges throughout week on Simple Suppers Facebook page. Peers and Educators provide praise/support/encouragement | |||
CO2.3, CO2.4.1, CO2.4.2 | • Modeling | • SCT | • Caregivers plan family meals for upcoming week with peer caregivers during weekly lessons • Caregivers observe Educators facilitating group family meal during weekly lessons | |||
CO2.3, CO2.4.1, CO2.4.2, | • Mastery experience | • SCT | • Caregivers participate in group family meals during weekly lessons • Caregivers plan and set weekly goals to have family meals at home | |||
Self-evaluation | CO3.3, CO3.4.1, CO3.4.2, CO3.5 | • Self-monitoring | • SCT | • Set individualized weekly SMART goals aligned with lesson topics | ||
CO3.3, CO3.4.1, CO3.4.2, CO3.5 | • Feedback | • SCT | • Goals are reinforced by caregivers sharing their weekly goals • Educators and peers provide feedback/assure appropriateness • Discuss previous week’s goal successes and challenges at beginning of each lesson. Caregivers problem solve together to overcome challenges | |||
Norms, modeling, reinforcement | CO4.3.1, CO4.3.2, CO4.4, CO4.5 | • Facilitation | • SCT | • Simple Suppers group family meals follow routine/establish norm for family meals • Provide weekly take-home cooking utensil to facilitate cooking at home | ||
CO4.4 | • Mastery experience | • SCT | • Educators guide caregivers in establishing mealtime routine during Simple Suppers and at home | |||
Improve child diet quality (significantly increase HEI score (p < 0.05); increase daily svgs of fruits, vegetables to Dietary Guidelines recommendations; significantly decrease daily svgs of: SSBs (p < 0.05 decrease)b | Individual (child) | Behavioral capability | CO1.2.1 | • Facilitation | • SCT | • Before Simple Suppers family meals, children name foods from each food group in the upcoming family meal |
CO1.1, CO1.2.2 | • Vicarious learning | • SCT | • Discuss food groups and benefits of healthy eating with Educators and peers at Simple Suppers • Learn to cook a variety of foods with peers | |||
CO1.1, CO1.2.2 | • Mastery experience | • SCT | • Children learn food prep skills & become familiar with a variety of food while helping prepare Simple Suppers family meals | |||
Self-efficacy | CO2.1, CO2.2 | • Facilitation | • SCT | • Learn health benefits of foods through interactive discussions & food prep • Engage in planning/preparing well-balanced meals/snacks during Simple Suppers and at home ≥2x/week | ||
CO2.2 | • Vicarious learning | • SCT | • Engage in food prep with peers of the same age • Eat Simple Suppers group family meals with peers | |||
Self-evaluation | CO3.2 | • Self-monitoring | • SCT | • Establish weekly goal during Simple Suppers to try a new food at home • Weekly goal reinforced by sharing goal with caregivers during Simple Suppers family meal | ||
CO3.2 | • Feedback | • SCT | • Discuss new foods tried at home during past week with Educators and peers during weekly Simple Suppers lesson | |||
Norms, modeling, reinforcement | CO4.2.1, CO4.2.2 | • Facilitation | • SCT | • Foods from ≥3 food groups served at Simple Suppers family meals • Eat Simple Suppers family meals with family and peers • Children & caregivers establish weekly goal to engage in preparing well-balanced meals at home ≥1x/week | ||
Interpersonal (caregiver) | Behavioral capability | CO1.3.1, CO1.3.2, CO1.4.1, CO1.4.2, CO1.5.1, CO1.5.2, CO1.6.1, CO1.6.2 | • Active learning | • ALT | • Educators use 4A method to lead caregiver discussions • Caregivers learn skills to serve nutritious meals/snacks through discussions, problem solving, games, meal planning, goal setting | |
CO1.4.2, CO1.5.2 | • Facilitation | • SCT | • Caregivers plan • Caregivers provided with take-home recipe book of nutritious recipes • Families receive take-home cooking utensil during each lesson | |||
CO1.3.1, CO1.3.2, CO1.4.1, CO1.4.2, CO1.6.1 | • Problem solving | • ALT | • Discuss challenges and successes with serving well-balanced meals/snacks • Problem solve with peers to overcome challenges | |||
CO1.4.2, CO1.5.2, CO1.6.1 | • Vicarious learning | • SCT | • Simple Suppers group family meals contain ≥1 svg from all 5 food groups • Caregivers observe Educators serving/engaging children in preparing well-balanced family meals | |||
CO1.4.2, CO1.5.2, CO1.6.1, CO1.6.2 | • Mastery experience | • SCT | • Caregivers plan ≥1 well-balanced (contains ≥1 svg from 3 food groups) family meal per week during each Simple Suppers lesson using skills acquired each lesson • Learned skills repeated in caregiver family meal planning | |||
Self-efficacy | CO2.3, CO2.4.1, CO2.4.2,, CO2.5.1, CO2.5.2, CO2.6.1, CO2.6.2, | • Feedback | • SCT | • Discuss challenges and successes with serving well-balanced meals/snacks. • Problem solve as a group to overcome challenges | ||
CO2.4.1, CO2.4.2, CO2.5.1, CO2.5.2, CO2.6.1 | • Social support | • SCT | • Plan weekly family meals with peers during Simple Suppers lessons • Post weekly successes and challenges on Simple Suppers Facebook page. Peers and Educators provide praise/support/encouragement | |||
CO2.3, CO2.4.1, CO2.4.2 | • Modeling | • SCT | • Educators serve Simple Suppers group family meals with ≥1 svg from all 5 food groups • Simple Suppers group family meals eaten with Educators and peers | |||
CO2.3, CO2.4.1, CO2.4.2 | • Mastery experience | • SCT | • Families eat a well-balanced family meal during Simple Suppers group family meals • Caregivers plan ≥1 family meal ≥1 svg from 3 food groups each lesson for upcoming week | |||
Self-evaluation | CO3.4.1, CO3.4.2, CO3.5.1, CO3.5.2, CO3.6.1, CO3.6.2, | • Self-monitoring | • SCT | • Set individualized weekly SMART goal to serve set number of family meals at home with ≥1 svg from ≥3 food groups • Caregivers plan menus for the number of family meals they made their goal for the upcoming week during Simple Suppers • Goals are reinforced by sharing weekly goal and planned menus during Simple Suppers each week. Educators and peers provide feedback/assure appropriateness | ||
CO3.4.2, CO3.5.2, CO3.6.2 | • Feedback | • SCT | • Discuss previous week’s goal successes and challenges at beginning of each Simple Suppers lesson. Caregivers problem solve together to overcome challenges | |||
Norms, modeling, reinforcement | CO4.4, CO4.5, CO4.6 | • Facilitation | • SCT | • All Simple Suppers group family meals contain ≥1 svg from all 5 food groups • Receive Simple Suppers cookbook with kid-friendly, well-balanced meals |