Implementation and Evaluation of Nutrition Interventions

This project aims to implement and evaluate two multi-component dietary interventions focused on promoting healthy and sustainable eating behaviors and preventing weight gain among Flemish higher education students. These interventions will take place over a period of eight weeks and are specifically designed to support healthy lifestyle choices during the transition from secondary school to higher education, a critical period where unhealthy eating behaviors and weight gain are common.

The interventions will be conducted at a university and a college, utilizing nudges in student restaurants, social media campaigns via Instagram, and workshops to encourage healthy and sustainable eating habits. Effectiveness will be measured using questionnaires administered at three points in time: before the intervention (baseline), immediately after the intervention (post-intervention), and five months later (follow-up). Two other campuses will serve as a control group to compare results.

In addition to assessing effectiveness, a process evaluation will also be conducted. This will involve focus groups with students and stakeholders, as well as a process questionnaire, to gain insights into the implementation of the interventions and the experiences of those involved. If the interventions prove successful, they may be scaled up to other Flemish institutions as part of a broader strategy for cancer prevention.