Development of scores to measure the effects of nutrition counselling on the overall diet: A pilot study in children and adolescents

An intervention study by documented dietary counselling was carried out in a sample of 9 children and adolescents (12-15 years) living in a full-time institution in Dortmund. Three weighed dietary records were collected over 3-7 days, one before and one after each of two individual nutrition counsel ling sessions, which were based on the recommended intake of food groups de fined by the Optimized Mixed Diet (OMD), a quantitative preventive dietary conception for children and adolescents. As univariate dietary parameters ( e.g., cholesterol intake), which are often used to show the effectiveness o f nutrition counselling, do not take into account the multivariate complexi ty of nutrition, we developed 3 multivariate scores to measure the effectiv eness of nutrition counselling. They are defined as: Recommended Food group change Score (RFS): Average change in the amounts of the deviations (%) from the reference food groups values (OMD = 100 %) bef ore and after counselling taking into account the aim (ear more/less) of th e counselling session, exclusively based on the food groups addressed durin g counselling. Total Food group change Score (TFS): Average change in the amounts of the d eviations (%) from the reference food group values (OMD = 100 %) before and after counselling based on all food groups consumed. Nutrient Improvement Score (NIS): Average change in the negative deviations (%) of 8 vitamins and 8 minerals from the German reference values for nutr ient intake (Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Ernahrung (DGE) = 100 %) before and after counselling. On average, the intakes of the food groups mentioned during the first couns elling session improved considerably (RFS = +36 %), the change in the intak e of all food groups was Small (TFS = +6 %) and the nutrient intakes did no t improve (NIS = 0 %). From the second counselling session the value of the RFS was +10 %, of the TFS was +6 % and of the NTS +3 %. This means that the success of counselling on one dietary criterion does no t guarantee success on others. Our food and nutrient based scores together with a detailed food intake assessment give an example of multivariate meas urements of nutrition counselling outcomes.