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This study will examine the effectiveness of the online family-based program focused on sustainable eating compared to weekly emails about environmentally friendly behaviours.
The investigators will conduct a family-level RCT following CONSORT guidelines: families will be randomly allocated into control and intervention groups. The control group will receive an email once a week for 7 weeks with information about environmentally friendly habits.
The intervention group will participate in the 7-week online Supper Heroes program consisting of 7 online "missions" completed over 7 weeks. Each mission includes tasks for families to complete, including reading infographics, watching short videos, participating in family-based activities, and sharing their progress. Parents will receive 2 text messages each week with information about the program. Families will also receive a toolkit to support their participation which will contain cookbooks, a potato brush, grocery planning tools, and a note that orients them to what is included. It will take approximately 1-2 hours per mission to complete all activities.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control Group | Other | Families randomized to the control group will receive weekly emails for 7 weeks about environmentally friendly habits. |
|
| Supper Heroes online environmentally friendly eating intervention for families | Experimental | Families randomized to the intervention group will complete a 7-week Supper Heroes program that includes activities focused on making more meals at home, reducing food waste, and eating more plant-based foods. |
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| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supper Heroes online environmentally friendly eating intervention for families | Behavioral | Families randomized to the intervention group will complete a 7-week Supper Heroes program that includes activities focused on making more meals at home, reducing food waste, and eating more plant-based foods. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Decrease in avoidable food waste | The amount of avoidable food waste generated is measured as the difference in weight (grams) between baseline (T0), post-intervention/control (T1), and 6-month follow-up (T2), as assessed by weighed food waste diaries. Participants will complete a food waste diary using a provided kitchen scale and detailed instructions on how to do so. The amount of avoidable food waste will be compared between participants in the Supper Heroes intervention group and those in the control group. Measurement Tool: Food waste diary and kitchen scale. Unit of Measure: Families will be asked to list all food thrown away, the weight of the food (gams) and the reason the food was thrown away (e.g., it went bad) for 7 days. Time Points: Baseline (T0): post-intervention/control (T1 - after completion of either intervention or control activities, 7 weeks); follow-up (T2 - 6 months after completing the intervention or control activities). | 15 months |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Increased intake of plant-based foods among parents and children. | The amount of plant-based foods consumed by parents and children is measured as the mean servings of plant-based foods, as assessed by a web-based food frequency questionnaire. This will be compared between participants in the Supper Heroes intervention group and those in the control group. Measurement Tool: Food frequency questionnaire adapted from Canadian Diet History Questionnaire II Unit of Measure: Servings of plant-based foods consumed per day Time Points: Baseline (T0): post-intervention/control (T1 - after completion of either intervention or control activities, 7 weeks); follow-up (T2 - 6 months after completing the intervention or control activities). |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluate mechanisms of behaviour change. | The changes in parents' and children's attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, measured using items previously validated in the feasibility study, as potential mediators of the intervention effects on the primary and secondary outcomes. These constructs will be assessed before and after the intervention to determine their role in mediating changes in behavior, such as the intake of plant-based foods and red/processed meats. Time Points: Baseline (T0): post-intervention/control (T1 - after completion of either intervention or control activities, 7 weeks). |
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Role | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shannon Pare, MSc | Contact | 519-824-4120 | 58820 | supperheroes@uoguelph.ca |
| Jess Haines, PhD | Contact | 519-824-4120 | 53780 | jhaines@uoguelph.ca |
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Jess Haines, PhD | University of Guelph | Principal Investigator |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Guelph | Recruiting | Guelph | Ontario | N1G 2W1 | Canada |
| PubMed Identifier | Type | Citation | Retractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39788349 | Background | Eckert KF, Agostinelli J, Laila A, Alexander C, Parizeau K, von Massow M, Duncan AM, Hesketh KD, Ma DWL, Haines J. Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact of "Supper Heroes", a family-based sustainable diet intervention. Appetite. 2025 Feb 1;206:107849. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2025.107849. Epub 2025 Jan 7. | |
| Background | National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ2). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved April 3, 2025, from https://epi.grants.cancer.gov/dhq2/ |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D005247 | Feeding Behavior |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D001522 | Behavior, Animal |
| D001519 | Behavior |
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|
| Monthly emails about environmentally friendly habits | Behavioral | Families randomized to the control group will receive monthly emails for 6 months about environmentally friendly habits. |
|
| 15 months |
| Decreased intake of red and processed meats among parents and children. | The amount of red and processed meats consumed by parents and children, measured as the average daily intake (servings) of red and processed meats, as assessed by a web-based food frequency questionnaire. This will be compared between participants in the Supper Heroes intervention group and those in the control group. Measurement Tool: Food frequency questionnaire adapted from Canadian Diet History Questionnaire II Unit of Measure: Servings of red and processed meats consumed per day Time Points: Baseline (T0): post-intervention/control (T1 - after completion of either intervention or control activities, 7 weeks); follow-up (T2 - 6 months after completing the intervention or control activities). | 15 months |
| 15 months |