Effectiveness of Nutrition Education on Fast Food Choices in Adolescents

Abstract

Adolescent obesity has become a major health concern in the United States. An increased frequency of fast food restaurant dining is associated with higher intake of calories and calories from fat. The purpose of this study was to gain insight as to how food choices in a "simulated" fast food environment might be influenced by nutrition education in a group of adolescents. Ten adolescents were asked to choose food items from a fast food restaurant menu. Their chosen meals' nutrition make-up (calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, protein, and fiber) was calculated. Following a 30-minute nutrition education session, participants were asked again to choose a meal from the same fast food menu. The nutrition make-up of the meal chosen postintervention was compared with the meal chosen before the education session. There was a statistically significant (p < .05) difference in calories, fat, carbohydrate, and fiber content of the meals chosen postintervention. This short nutrition education intervention resulted in healthier fast food choices in this group of adolescents.

Effect of nutrition education intervention based on Pender's Health Promotion Model in improving the frequency and nutrient intake of breakfast consumption among female Iranian students

“…This finding is consistent with Allen et al (41) and Cox et al (42) . It is noteworthy that despite the increase of energy, vitamin A, vitamin C and Ca intakes in the experimental group after the intervention, the intake amount is still inadequate and below the standards.…”

Effect of Health Education on the Knowledge, Attitude, and ‎Practice of Fast Food Consumption among Primary Students in ‎Tehran

“…Also, students had a low nutritional knowledge about the fast foods and their harms [26] . Likewise, in a research conducted in 2014 by Allen et al, it was found that students had a low nutritional knowledge about fast foods and complications of these types of foods [27] . students of Shahid Beheshti University evaluating the knowledge and attitude of students towards fast food consumption, it was found that 21.9 students are in poor or very poor level of knowledge to the fast foods [28] .…”

The Empowerment of Dasa Wisma as Partners in the Prevention and Control of Drug Abuse in Teenagers in Ratu Agung Sub-District of Bengkulu City

“…Roger in [5] states that knowledge / cognitive is a very important domain in the formation of behavior in this case the prevention of drug use in teenagers, and behavior based on knowledge will survive more lasting than the behavior that is not based on knowledge. Allen's [6]study reveals that one's knowledge will affect the health behavior of the person, the training program to further empower Dasa Wisma done by the researcher on the group members of the treatment group is aimed at improving health behavior towards the positive, and the behavior will persist when the individual realizes the importance Positive health behavior is very beneficial in everyday life. In IVCN this study, the knowledge of respondents in the treatment group experienced a better improvement compared to the control group with a value of P = 0.000.…”