263036 Effect of nutrition education on health-related behaviors of school children

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Natalia Frishman , Department of Sociology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Mack Shelley, PhD , Department of Statistics, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Doris Montgomery, MS, RD , Iowa Nutrition Network, Iowa Department of Public Health, Des Moines, IA
This research assessed effects of the BASICS for Nutrition and Physical Activity Program provided by the Iowa Department of Public Health. The program encourages children in low-income schools to eat healthy and be physically active. The goal of the program is improving children's health through promoting a healthy lifestyle. Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyze the 2009, 2010, and 2011 datasets. The results showed significantly increased happiness with eating fruits and vegetables by third-grade children after they tried these products, learned simple recipes for preparing snacks with fruits and vegetables, and learned about the health benefits of these products in school. Knowledge of the program's materials significantly and positively influenced children's self-efficacy of being able to prepare snacks with fruits and vegetables at home. Self-efficacy significantly and positively influenced food preferences toward fruits and vegetables. Third-grade children living in rural areas know the program's materials better and are more self-sufficient in preparing fruit and vegetable snacks than children of the same age living in urban areas. Multiple regression analysis showed that knowledge of program materials and self-efficacy about physical activity after school significantly and positively influenced children's desire to be physically active in 2009, 2010, and 2011.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs

Learning Objectives:
1) Assess effects of nutrition and physical activity education on health-related behavior of school children. 2) Demonstrate improvement of food preferences toward fruits and vegetables after participation in the nutrition education program.

Keywords: Children's Health, Nutrition

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am graduate students, who conduct statistical data analysis for the assessment of the effectiveness of nutrition education program.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.