Aim: This study examined whether there was an association between a repeated dietary and lifestyle intervention that began in infancy and participants' psychological wellbeing at the age of 20.
Methods: We examined the psychological wellbeing of 457 young adults participating in the Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project (STRIP), a randomised controlled trial conducted in Finland between 1989 and 2011. We assessed potential differences in psychological wellbeing between the intervention and control groups by examining participants' satisfaction with life, how they rated their health, their experiences of stress and the consequences of experiencing stress and symptoms of depression at the age of 20. We also assessed socio-economic status during childhood as a potential confounding factor.
Results: We found no association between the long-term dietary and lifestyle intervention and participants' psychological wellbeing in adulthood. Adjusting for sex and childhood socio-economic status did not affect the results and socio-economic status did not moderate the association between the intervention and psychological wellbeing.
Conclusion: Our findings showed no association between intensive dietary and lifestyle counselling that was initiated in infancy with psychological wellbeing in adulthood and the initiative did not appear to pose any psychological risks.
Keywords: Adolescents; Lifestyle; Long-term trial; Nutrition; Psychological wellbeing.
©2015 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.