The impact of a school nurse intervention on adolescents' knowledge about healthy eating

Abstract

Background: The adolescent developmental stage has been described by researchers as a period in which decision-making abilities and independence skills are developed; therefore, this period may attract more attention from health-care providers as a key time for establishing healthy life styles and positive adaptive behaviours, such as nutritional behaviours. Methods: A quasi-experimental control group, and post-test only design was used. A school-based healthy nutrition educational programme was implemented to improve the nutritional knowledge of adolescents, and to promote a healthy life style among them. The ‘Let's Eat Healthy’ programme was delivered to 150 students in the intervention group, who were compared to another 150 students in the control group where the programme was not delivered. Results: Students that participated in the intervention group were significantly more knowledgeable about healthy nutrition compared to students that didn't participate (P<0.01). They also scored significantly higher in the dietary behaviours survey, which reflects the adoption of more healthy eating behaviours. Conclusions: The results of the study revealed that such a programme would be effective in promoting more nutritionally healthy life styles, thus preventing obesity and nutrition-related disease among adolescents in United Arab Emirates (UAE) schools.

Child health nurse perceptions of using confident body, confident child in community health: a qualitative descriptive study

“…Nurses presented a four-session education program to all adolescents aged 12-15 years in their school. Increases in student nutrition knowledge were observed in the intervention group compared to the control group after the intervention, however no examination of nurse experiences in implementing the program were explored [24]. Hence, while similar research exists suggesting health promotion interventions with nurses are feasible and useful, we believe our study is the first to implement an eating disorder prevention program in a community-based nurse setting to promote healthful eating and positive body image with parents of preschool children.…”

“…A controlled trial by Pbert et al (2013), conducted with seven nurses delivering a six-session counselling intervention to assist larger-bodied adolescents with changes in eating and physical activity, found 75% of nurses could incorporate the intervention into their daily work and found it acceptable for the adolescents they worked with [23]. Similarly, Al-Yateem and colleagues (2015) conducted a quasi-experimental trial of an intervention implemented by school nurses to increase adolescents' knowledge of healthy eating [24]. Nurses presented a four-session education program to all adolescents aged 12-15 years in their school.…”

An International Review to Characterize the Role, Responsibilities, and Optimal Setting for Health Literacy Mediators

“… 9 This review identified several articles with a school-based intervention that reported a transfer of knowledge and behaviors into the home environment. 30 , 46 , 47 In addition, Başkale and Bahar 31 noted that after mothers were given nutrition education as a part of a school-wide intervention, their children’s health behaviors improved with “healthy food” consumption increasing further. It is important to note that not all children will have the independence to change their health behaviors in the home environment, 31 given their autonomy will be influenced by their SD.…”

Research Priorities for School Nursing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

“…Childhood obesity has been described by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2003(WHO, , 2014a as ''one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century,'' with the rates of obesity more than doubled among younger children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). In the UAE and the region, rapid urbanization and changes in lifestyle have taken place, characterized by more consumption of processed and fast food and less physical activity particularly in school age (Al-Yateem et al, 2015;Ng et al, 2011). In repeated studies, the WHO (2003, 2014a) identified 74% of the Emirati population as overweight, with 37% being obese.…”

“…A growing number of studies report various health-care interventions targeting multiple health problems and issues facing schoolchildren. These include weight management strategies, managing chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes, assessment and management of child abuse cases among others (Al-Yateem, Attia, AlYafei, Mohammed, & Mustafa, 2015; Drake, Stewart, Muggeo, & Ginsburg, 2015; Faro, Ingersoll, Fiore, & Ippolito, 2005; Hanson, Aleman, Hart, & Yawn, 2013; Kraft & Eriksson, 2015; Kubik & Lee, 2013; Mäenpää, Paavilainen, Åstedt-Kurki, & Åstedt-Kurki, 2013).…”