Original Communication
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2005) 59, 498–507. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602100 Published online 16 February 2005
Netherlands Research programme weight Gain prevention (NHF-NRG): rationale, objectives and strategies
Guarantors: SPJ Kremers, TLS Visscher and D Kromhout.
Contributors: SPJK and TLSV were the main authors of the manuscript and assisted in the design of each of the studies presented in the manuscript. JB, MJMCAP, EGS, AJS, JCS, MAVB and WVM are supervisors of the separate studies within NHF-NRG and assisted in writing. HCGK, FJK, WHMS and DK are members of the programme committee and assisted in writing of the manuscript. DK is the principal investigator of the project.
S P J Kremers1, T L S Visscher2,3,4,5, J Brug1,6, M J M Chin A Paw7, E G Schouten8, A J Schuit3, J C Seidell2,4, M A Van Baak9, W Van Mechelen4,7, H C G Kemper7, F J Kok8, W H M Saris9 and D Kromhout3,8
- 1Department of Health Education and Promotion, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
- 2Institute for Health Sciences, Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- 3Centre for Prevention and Health Care Research, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- 4Knowledge Centre Overweight, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam The Netherlands
- 5Prevention centre Overweight, Zwolle, The Netherlands
- 6Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- 7Department of Social Medicine and Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- 8Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
- 9Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
Correspondence: SPJ Kremers, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. E-mail: s.kremers@gvo.unimaas.nl
Received 28 June 2004; Revised 29 October 2004; Accepted 17 November 2004; Published online 16 February 2005.
Abstract
Objective:
To outline the rationale, objectives and strategies used in a systematically designed research programmme to study specific weight gain-inducing behaviours, their social–psychological as well as environmental determinants, and the effects of interventions aimed at the prevention of weight gain.
Design:
The evidence for potential behavioural determinants and strategies to prevent weight gain was reviewed, and the methods applied within the Netherlands Research programme weight gain prevention (NHF-NRG) project were described. The project is designed according to the Intervention Mapping protocol.
Setting:
The Netherlands.
Subjects:
The main target groups are (a) adolescents (12–16 y) in secondary school, (b) young adults (20–40 y) at the workplace and (c) recently retired people (55–65 y) at home.
Interventions:
Each intervention includes an individual component, in which computer-tailored information is provided. Additionally, interventions are aimed at changing environmental components.
Results:
The short-term results of this project can be expected by the beginning of 2005. Guidelines for nationwide weight gain prevention, based on this research programme, will become available in 2007.
Conclusions:
Based on the few interventions that were evaluated to date, no robust conclusions can be drawn regarding the effectiveness of obesity prevention. The systematic and multidisciplinary design of the NHF-NRG programme enables the identification of potentially effective methods and strategies for the prevention of weight gain.
Keywords:
overweight, obesity, prevention
