Leveraging digital health platforms to enhance vegetable consumption among children: A parent-focused approach

The intervention aimed to increase parents’ awareness of their children’s nutritional status through a customized digital nutrition education package (DNEP). A total of 328 parents of primary school children in Tbilisi, Georgia, participated in a 10-week DNEP intervention to educate parents about children’s healthy food choices and dietary habits. To assess its effectiveness, the results from a semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and a Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) Questionnaire were compared before and after the intervention. After the intervention, daily breakfast consumption among children increased by 8.3 % ( p = 0.010), and vegetable intake increased significantly (up by 150 %) from 77g to 116 g per day. While the overall macronutrient ratio remained consistent ( p > 0.05), average daily vegetable consumption surged by 192 % in private schools and 131 % in public schools. The DNEP effectively increased vegetable intake among school children and can potentially enhance their physical and cognitive development. Our findings highlight that a healthy home eating environment promotes balanced nutrition habits among families, making DNEP a viable strategy for addressing malnutrition in Tbilisi. The results of this study contribute to Georgia’s national nutrition guidelines for children and align with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (3, 4, 5, and 10).