Effects of nutrition programs on third grade students

The ability and willingness of the students to use nutrition knowledge was shown in their food practices at lunch and in their attitudes toward specific vegetables on a rating scale, which were positive for the experimental groups but negative for the control group.

Abstract

A research study to measure the influence of a nutrition program for third grade students and a parent program concerning nutrition and school lunch was conducted in an urban school system. The comprehension of nutrition by students was evaluated by answering items on a nutrition knowledge test. To evaluate the application of nutrition, the ability and willingness of the students to use nutrition knowledge was shown in their food practices at lunch and in their attitudes toward specific vegetables on a rating scale. Four classrooms were used to develop the evaluation instruments: a nutrition knowledge pre- and posttest, a vegetable preference rating scale, and a lunch questionnaire. Eight other classrooms participated in the research project, with two classrooms in each of the following groups: 1) Control, 2) Parent Education, 3) Student Education, and 4) Parent Education and Student Education (PE-SE). The changes in mean rank scores on the vegetable preference rating scale were positive for the experimental groups but negative for the control group. The PE-SE group did significantly increase participation in the school lunch program (Omega < 0.05). Parents of students in the parent program made favorable comments.