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Can information intervention improve dietary quality? Evidence from a randomized controlled trial in rural China

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  • Cui, Yi
  • Zhao, Qiran
  • Si, Wei
  • Fan, Shenggen

Abstract

Nutrition education interventions are widely used globally but with mixed results. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to examine the effects of a nutrition education and a precise message (awareness-raising) intervention on nutrition knowledge and dietary quality of households in rural China. Treatment groups first received a lecture on the Chinese Food Guide Pagoda, and then all family members were measured for height and weight and informed of household overweight status. We analyzed 358 households before and after this intervention. Participants in the treatment group increased their dietary knowledge by 6% and improved their dietary quality by 8% after the intervention. The intervention effects were stronger for households with more than 25% and 50% of overweight people. Our study provides evidence that an intervention based on general nutrition information and delivery of a precise message to households can effectively improve dietary quality. Our findings inform the food policy debate on whether nutrition information interventions are effective. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the effectiveness of a nutrition information intervention to improve dietary quality in rural China.

Suggested Citation

  • Cui, Yi & Zhao, Qiran & Si, Wei & Fan, Shenggen, 2024. "Can information intervention improve dietary quality? Evidence from a randomized controlled trial in rural China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:176:y:2024:i:c:s0305750x23003431
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2023.106525
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    Keywords

    Randomized controlled trial; Dietary knowledge; Dietary quality; Rural China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I00 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - General - - - General
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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