To determine the effectiveness of implementation of a prevention programme via mobile phone text messaging in enhancing knowledge, attitudes and practice concerning iodine deficiency and iodized salt consumption.

In a randomized controlled trial, participants were subjected to a brief tele-educational support regarding iodine deficiency and the importance of iodized salt consumption. The intervention group received daily text messages via mobile phone for 6 weeks. Knowledge, attitude and practice scores, urinary iodine concentration and salt iodine content were assessed at baseline and 8 weeks after the intervention.

Participants were recruited from health-care centres in Tehran, the capital city of Iran.

For the present study 205 females aged ≥18 years were randomly assigned to the intervention (n 95) and control (n 110) groups.

A significant difference was found in median knowledge scores between the intervention and control groups at follow-up (P = 0·004). There was also a significant difference in median attitude scores between the intervention and control groups (P = 0·02). The intervention group did not differ significantly in median practice score, urinary iodine concentration and salt iodine content from the control group.

Text messaging interventions are effective in improving individuals’ knowledge and attitudes regarding preventive health-care topics.

To determine the nutritional adequacy and acceptability to children of vegetarian lunches served on ‘Thursday Veggie Day’ – a public health initiative in Ghent (Belgium) primary schools.

A comparison of food leftovers from main courses on regular days and Thursdays was made using a visual plate waste method. The nutritional value of the vegetarian meat analogue and meat components of main courses served on five ‘Thursday Veggie Days’ and five comparable conventional main courses was evaluated using three criteria (maximum 30 % of energy from fat, maximum of one-third of fat as saturated fat and minimum 1·5 g of dietary fibre per 420 kJ).

Two canteens from primary schools in Ghent, Belgium, participating in the ‘Thursday Veggie Day’ campaign.

Primary-school children aged between 6 and 12 years.

In total, 1242 and 472 main course plate waste observations of conventional and vegetarian menus, respectively, were evaluated. There was no significant difference in plate waste between vegetarian (16·7 %) and conventional (17·3 %) main courses. Overall, the five vegetarian components were found to be nutritionally adequate with a mean score of 2·2 out of 3, compared with 0·4 for the meat component. However, three of the vegetarian components provided >30 % of energy from fat and, in one, the amount of saturated fat exceeded one-third of total fat.

Vegetarian canteen meals offered as part of ‘Thursday Veggie Day’ appear to be nutritionally appropriate and as acceptable as conventional main courses to children in primary schools in Ghent.

To examine the relationship between the neighbourhood food environment and dietary intake among adolescents.

Cross-sectional design using: (i) a geographic information system to assess characteristics of the neighbourhood food environment and neighbourhood socio-economic status; (ii) the modified Healthy Eating Index (HEI) to assess participants’ overall diet quality; and (iii) generalized linear models to examine associations between HEI and home and school food environmental correlates.

Mid-sized Canadian city in Ontario, Canada.

Grade 7 and 8 students (n 810) at twenty-one elementary schools.

Students living in neighbourhoods with a lower diversity of land-use types, compared with their higher diversity counterparts, had higher HEI scores (P < 0·05). Students with more than 1 km between their home and the nearest convenience store had higher HEI scores than those living within 1 km (P < 0·01). Students attending schools with a distance further than 1 km from the nearest convenience store (P < 0·01) and fast-food outlet (P < 0·05) had higher HEI scores than those within 1 km. Those attending schools with three or more fast-food outlets within 1 km had lower HEI scores than those attending schools with no fast-food outlet in the school surroundings (P < 0·05).

Close proximity to convenience stores in adolescents’ home environments is associated with low HEI scores. Within adolescents’ school environments, close proximity to convenience and fast-food outlets and a high density of fast-food outlets are associated with low HEI scores.

To investigate the effect of front-of-pack labels on taste perception and use of table salt for currently available and sodium-reduced soups.

Within-subject design.

Sensory laboratory.

Participants (n 50, mean age 34·8 (sd 13·6) years) were randomly served nine soups (250 ml each) across 3 d. Servings differed in: (i) health label (i.e. no health label, reduced-salt label or Heart Foundation Tick); and (ii) sodium reduction (no reduction – benchmark, 15 % less sodium or 30 % less sodium). Before tasting, participants rated their expected salt intensity and liking. After tasting, participants rated their perceived salt intensity and liking, after which they could add salt to the soup to make it more palatable.

Reduced-salt labels generated a negative taste expectation and actual taste experience in terms of liking (P < 0·05) and perceived saltiness (P < 0·05). Perceived saltiness of sodium-reduced soups decreased more (P < 0·05), and consumers added more salt (P < 0·05), when soups carried the reduced-salt label. The tick logo and soups without health labels had no such influence on taste perception.

Emphasizing salt reduction by means of a front-of-pack label can have a negative effect on taste perception and salt use, especially when consumers are able to taste differences between their regular soup and the sodium-reduced soup. Overall health logos which do not emphasize the reduction in salt are less likely to affect perceived salt intensity and therefore are viable solutions to indicate the healthiness of sodium-reduced products.

To evaluate the current and ideal body weight perceptions of schoolchildren in relation to their actual body weight and socio-economic status (SES).

Baseline evaluation of schoolchildren from January 2008 to April 2008 as part of a 3-year longitudinal study.

City and non-city locations, Karnataka State, South India.

Schoolchildren (n 1877) aged between 8 and 14 years.

Girls, children of more educated parents and city dwellers were more likely to be overweight (P < 0·001). Younger children aged <10 years and those of lower SES were more likely to perceive themselves as underweight (adjusted OR = 1·63, 95 % CI 1·25, 2·11 and adjusted OR = 1·87, 95 % CI 1·32, 2·65). Underweight children were ten times more likely to overestimate their current weight status, while overweight children were four times more likely to underestimate it. The odds of children of lower SES underestimating their weight, as well as desiring a higher weight, were higher than those of higher-SES children.

SES is associated with body weight perception. Underweight children are more likely to overestimate their weight status and overweight children more likely to underestimate it.