The Effect of Nutrition Education on the Knowledge and Practice of Elementary School Children Regarding Junk Food Intake

Background & Objectives: Nutritional habits and behavior are acquired and established during childhood and can remain through the whole life. Proper nutrition in childhood results in enhancing the child growth and development and hinders the risk of chronic diseases in adulthood. Regarding the significance of nutritional training of school children, this study was conducted with the aim of determining the effect of nutrition education on knowledge and nutritional practice of grade five elementary school children about junk food intake in Tabriz from ۲۰۰۴ to ۲۰۰۵. Materials & Methods: This experimental study was conducted on ۴۸۷ students (from ۱۶ schools ) in two control and treatment groups. In this research two teaching styles (lecturing without teaching aids - and with teaching aids and group discussion) were performed for twelve sessions for the students. Data collecting tool was a questionnaire whose reliability and validity had been confirmed in advance. To investigate the effect of intervention of nutrition education in junk food consumption Solomon method was used. Results: The results obtained from this study showed no significant difference between mean knowledge and practice of the students in control and education groups before intervention. However, after nutrition education there was a significant difference (P=۰.۰۰۵) between mean score of knowledge and practice in two groups and the mean score of practice in treatment group increased from ۸۷.۸± ۳۱.۹۵ before intervention to ۱۰۴.۶±۲۸.۳۴ after intervention and the mean score of knowledge increased from ۲۲.۴±۱۶.۴۹ before intervention to ۴۲.۶±۲۵.۶۸ after intervention. In addition, knowledge and practice increased significantly in two groups (P=۰.۰۰۵). The results were more favorable in girls than in boys (P=۰.۰۰۵). Conclusion: Nutrition education plays a crucially important role in improvement of knowledge and practice , particularly in school. Replacement of junk food with nutritious, healthy food will reduce the complications posed by consumption of junk food. Parents, education also seems essential to reduce the consumption of junk food.

Keywords:

Nutrition education , Knowledge , Practice , Junk Food , Elementary school students.