The impact of healthy nutrition education based on traffic light labels on food selection, preference, and consumption in patients with acute coronary syndrome: a randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Background: Acute Coronary Syndrome is the most common heart disease and the most significant cause of death and disability-adjusted life years worldwide. Teaching a healthy eating style is one preventive measure to prevent the disease's recurrence. This study aimed to determine the effect of healthy nutrition education with the help of traffic light labels on food selection, preference, and consumption in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Methods: This randomized, single-blinded clinical trial was conducted with 139 participants (66 in the intervention group and 73 in the control group) from January 2021 to August 2021 in Shaheed Rajaie Hospital, Tehran, Iran. The control group received standard training. The intervention group, besides this, received additional bedside training with an educational poster on traffic light labels from the research team during their final hospitalization days. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire on food selection, preference, and consumption.

Results: The Brunner-Munzel test showed no significant difference between the two groups in terms of selection (P = 0.127), preference (P = 0.852), and food consumption (P = 0.846) in the baseline, while after the intervention, there were significant differences in selection (P > 0.001), preference (P > 0.001), and consumption (p < 0.004). Comparing the difference between the two groups in the difference between the before and after scores for selection (p < 0.001), preference (p < 0.001), and food consumption (p = 0.011) with the Brunner-Munzel test indicated a significant difference in all outcome variables.

Conclusions: Teaching healthy eating styles with the help of traffic light labels affected food selection, preference, and consumption and led to healthier diets in these patients.

Clinical trial registration number: Clinical trial registration: It was prospectively registered in the Iran Clinical Trials Registration Center on this date 30/10/2020 (IRCT20200927048857N1).

Keywords: Acute coronary syndrome; Food consumption; Food preference; Healthy eating style; Healthy food selection; Traffic light labels.