A nutrition intervention with a main focus on vegetables and bread consumption among young men in the Norwegian National Guard

Figures & data

Fig. 1 Flow chart of the participants.

Table 1 Descriptives of the participants at baseline

	Intervention	Control
Age (mean, SD)	19.7 (2.8)	19.2 (1.3)*
Mother's education (%)
Primary school	13.1	13.9
High school	37.0	40.5
University/college ≤3 år	20.9	22.8
University/college ≥4 år	28.9	22.8
Father's education (%)
Primary school	13.1	13.0
High school	38.6	38.5
University/college ≤3 år	12.0	19.9**
University/college ≥4 år	36.3	28.6**

*p<0.05 (t-test).

**p<0.05 (chi-square test).

Table 2 Average intake of selected food items in the intervention and control group at baseline and follow-up

Food items		Average intake (g/d) baseline	SE	Average intake (g/d) follow-up (adjusted for baseline intake*)	SE	Within group** p-value	Between groups at follow-up*** p-value
Vegetables	Intervention	143	4.6	222 225	5.5	<0.001	<0.001
	Control	107	9.2	99 (88)	11.2	0.45
Fruit	Intervention	128	5.8	144 (142)	5.6	0.012	<0.001
	Control	111	14.2	83 (90)	11.3	0.040
Juice	Intervention	153	9.5	178 (183)	9.2	0.119	0.001
	Control	238	19.7	280 (255)	18.6	0.024
Potatoes	Intervention	101	3	46 (47)	2.6	<0.001	<0.001
	Control	130	7	104 (101)	5.2	<0.001
White bread	Intervention	14	1.3	19 (20)	2.1	0.02	0.23
	Control	20	4.1	26 (25)	17	0.26
Semi-whole grain bread	Intervention	160	3.8	206 (207)	4.5	<0.001	<0.001
	Control	164	7.7	152 (151)	9.6	0.216
Eating <150 g vegetables/d (%)	Intervention	62.8		33.8		<0.001
	Control	77.9		75.8		1.00

Only participants having answered the questions 3 or 4 days at both baseline and follow-up.

*For vegetables, fruit, juice, and potatoes (and salad) also adjusted for season at follow-up (winter/summer).

**Related sample t-test.

***ANCOVA, adjusted for baseline values (for vegetables, fruit, juice, and potatoes also adjusted for season at follow-up [winter/summer]).

N =374–376 (intervention) and 84–99 (control).

Table 3 Percentages with correct answers on knowledge of nutritional value of fruits, vegetables and whole grain cereals

		Baseline	Follow-up	Change within group, p*	Difference in change between groups, p*
Intervention	0 correct	29.8	14.6	<0.001	<0.001
	1 correct	45.7	24.0
	2 correct	16.4	27.5
	3 correct	6.3	24.7
	4 correct	1.8	9.1
Control	0 correct	33.8	33.8	1.000
	1 correct	59.7	59.7
	2 correct	6.5	6.5
	3 correct	0	0
	4 correct	0	0

*Chi-square tests (for composite index, difference in proportions having increased number of correct answers with at least 1).

N (only those with answer both at baseline and follow-up): intervention: 396–403, control: 139–144.

The changes for each number of correct answers were all significant in the intervention but not in the control group (McNemar test).