Effectiveness of a school-based nutrition and food safety education program among primary and junior high school students in Chongqing, China

Abstract

Abstract:Background: Health behavioral patterns, especially eating patterns, established in childhood often carry over into adulthood, and some of the unhealthy ones are later associated with adult morbidity and mortality. Recently, a few nutrition and food safety education programs have been implemented in primary and junior high schools in China. Purpose: This study aims to examine the effectiveness of a school-based nutrition and food safety education program among primary and junior high school students in China. Methods: A mixed study design incorporating an intervention study and a quantitative survey was conducted for this research. With stratified cluster sampling, students from the 5 th and 6 th grade in one primary school and the 7 th and 8 th grade in one junior high school in Chongqing, China, were all selected and separated randomly into an intervention group (n = 501) and a control group (n = 522). Effectiveness evaluation investigations were performed at the initial time and nine-month follow-up (n = 472), respectively. Effectiveness of pre-/post-intervention and nine-month follow-up changes in scores of nutrition knowledge and food safety was assessed using a two-tailed t-test and analysis of variance. Results: Nutrition knowledge scores for the intervention group were mean 9.03, SD±2.75 at the baseline, and 14.70±3.28 after intervention. There was a significant improvement (t = 29.78, p < 0.01). The nine-month follow-up knowledge scores of the intervention group were 12.35±2.89, which were lower than the immediately after the intervention group (t = 12.40, p<0.01), but higher than those of the baseline level (t = 18.04, p < 0.01). Food safety scores of the postintervention were higher (p < 0.01) than that of the control group in both pre-intervention and nine-month follow-up. The control group had no significant change in the pre-post intervention. Conclusions: It is feasible and effective to improve nutrition and food safety knowledge among primary and junior high school students through school-based nutrition and food safety education programs. (Global Health Promotion, 2016; 23(1): 37-49)

Experts’ views regarding Australian school‐leavers’ knowledge of nutrition and food systems

“…An Australian study of consumers’ food safety knowledge indicated poor safety knowledge was negatively associated with health education at school 12 . International studies have also reported positive effects of school‐based nutrition and food safety education on students’ knowledge and behaviour 36,37 . In addition, the important role of parents’ knowledge and behaviour on their children's understanding and practices of N&Fs related issues identified in the current study has also been reported in international studies on the (positive) influence of parents as role models for healthy eating behaviour among teenagers 38 and middle school students 39 .…”

“…12 International studies have also reported positive effects of schoolbased nutrition and food safety education on students' knowledge and behaviour. 36,37 In addition, the important role of parents' knowledge and behaviour on their children's understanding and practices of N&Fs related issues identified in the current study has also been reported in international studies on the (positive) influence of parents as role models for healthy eating behaviour among teenagers 38 and middle school students. 39 This reinforces the need to consider nutrition education in a wider context than just what may or may not occur in schools and the need to explore the potential to promote important N&FS topics within the supportive environment of the family.…”

Effectiveness of Health Education on Knowledge and Practice Regarding the Importance of Well-Balanced Nutrition Among School Students

“…The education about food safety and nutrition among school students were a great impact on the student's nutrition knowledge in school. The educational program about nutrition and food safety was very beneficial and effective for school students, and the health education about nutrition and food safety to be applicable, practicable, and improve the health (Zhou et al, 2016).…”

Understanding food processing and systems: Pilot testing a standards‐aligned middle school curriculum

“…Middle school appears to be the ideal time to educate students on new topics such as food processing and systems as they are still in the process of developing behaviors that they will retain throughout their lives, as proven evident by research on other subject areas such as nutrition (Zhou et al., 2016) and physical education (Bocarro, Kanters, Casper, & Forrester, 2008). Introducing middle schoolers to ideas related to food processing and food systems may allow for the development of positive behaviors associated with these topics (Richards et al., 2008).…”