The effect of teacher-delivered nutrition education programs on elementary-aged students: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Research shows that schools can make a positive impact on children’s nutritional outcomes. However, it is also reported that schools and teaching staff note many barriers, which may restrict nutritional education programming and delivery. This is concerning, considering the view that teachers are the key agents for promoting health and nutrition within schools. The purpose of the updated systematic review and meta-analysis was to ascertain the impact that nutrition education programs have on elementary-aged students’ energy intake, fruit, vegetable, sugar consumption and nutritional knowledge. A systematic literature search was conducted using electronic databases (The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL); A + Education; ERIC; PsycINFO; MEDLINE; ProQuest Central, Journals@Ovid and SAGE Health Sciences Full-Text Collection) from 1990 to 31st October 2018. This process yielded 34 studies for inclusion in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Of these studies, seven studies had a focus on energy intake, five had a focus on sugar consumption, 21 of the studies looked at fruit and vegetable consumption and 13 studies focused on nutritional knowledge. The results suggest that the teaching of nutrition education in elementary schools by qualified teachers can make an important contribution to the knowledge and dietary habits of children. The small and medium effect sizes indicate that prudent, evidence-based decisions need to be made by policy makers and pedagogues as to the teaching strategies employed when delivering nutrition education programs to elementary-aged students. The review is reported in accordance to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (van Sluijs et al., 2007).

Preliminary Results of the Planet Nutrition Program on Obesity Parameters in Mexican Schoolchildren: Pilot Single-School Randomized Controlled Trial

“…The program was reported by children and parents to have good acceptance and benefits, attendance at activities was high and retention was close to 100%. In previous studies, the interventionists in charge of implementing the program have usually been school teachers, which suggests a greater potential for its application in schools [ 39 ]. In our study, however, the intervention was implemented by interns of Nutrition and Physical Activity undergraduate programs who have a greater knowledge of their respective subject areas, which could be related to better results.…”

The Effectiveness of School-Based Interventions on Obesity-Related Behaviours in Primary School Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials

“…Multi-country data indicated that local school contexts have a significant impact on children's daily MVPA accumulation pattern [34]. Recent systematic reviews and meta-analysis suggest that nutrition interventions can have a positive influence on children's nutritional knowledge and children's energy intake [35,36]. However, The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) has highlighted disparities in the evidence, specifically the need for evaluation of multi-component interventions that aim to reduce obesity-related behaviours in children [37].…”

Game for Food Ingredients Grouping Improving Student's Understanding of Sources of Nutrition

“…Teachers are expected to work together with parents so that the development of children at home can continue in school supported by routine activities for independent study. (Lydia, M., Nina, NK, Wayan, D., Rambat Nur, S., & Lutfi Firdaus, M, 2018) A literature study conducted by Cotton, W., Dudley, D., Peralta, L., & Werkhoven, T (2020) shows that teaching nutrition education in primary schools by qualified teachers can make an important contribution to children's knowledge and eating habits. Small and medium effect sizes suggest that careful, evidence-based decisions need to be made by policymakers and pedagogies regarding the teaching strategies used when delivering nutrition education programs to primary-age students.…”