Eating better, feeling good: development and evaluation of an online intervention to promote healthy eating

The main goal of the research project Eating better, feeling good: Development and evaluation of an online intervention to promote healthy eating was the development and evaluation of an online intervention to promote healthy eating, particularly targeting families with a low social economic status. The online intervention was composed by appealing educational and information materials developed with a view to: 1) raise awareness and increase knowledge about nutritionally balanced choices at a lower cost; 2) motivate for the adoption of healthier eating habits; 3) strengthen skills for the implementation of such habits, such as planning healthy meals, selecting/purchasing nutritious ingredients, and knowing how to prepare them. In the long run, the aim was to contribute to the prevention of obesity and non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer, and lowering social inequalities in health, through the adherence to traditional Mediterranean healthy eating habits. Hence, this project directly contributed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which recognizes non-communicable diseases as a major challenge to be addressed. Furthermore, it was aligned with axis 2 and 3 of the recent Portuguese “Estratégia Integrada para a Promoção de Alimentação Saudável” (EIPAS), implemented by the Portuguese government in September of 2016. 

The project was developped in light of the FCT's funding programme CEEC Institucional 2018, for the position of an Auxiliar Researcher, by Cristina Godinho, former CRC-W researcher and former member of CECC, in replacement of Patrícia Costa.