A process evaluation of a health promotion intervention to increase breakfast consumption in children.

This article focuses on a process evaluation of the BREAKFAST study, a one-month health promotion intervention in a Chinese kindergarten aimed at increasing breakfast consumption among children through mobile text messaging to parents, breakfast-related cartoons for children, and weekly parent information sessions. Findings indicate that daily text messaging was generally well-received and motivated parents to prepare breakfast, though some found the frequency excessive and counterproductive over time. Children enjoyed the cartoons but rarely communicated the content to their parents, often forgetting to do so, suggesting a need for more engaging and health-risk-focused materials. Attendance at parent sessions was limited, with barriers including time constraints and parental breakfast skipping, highlighting complex family dynamics influencing breakfast habits. The study concludes that text messaging is a promising delivery method, but intervention intensity and content require careful design, and further quantitative research is needed to assess effectiveness.