An innovative nutrition education intervention to improve nutrition knowledge in school children

Madhavi Reddy; Anees Fathima Thabassum; K. N. V. Prasad; Ravishankar Suryanarayana

doi:10.53730/ijhs.v8n3.15439

Authors

Madhavi Reddy
drmadhavireddy@gmail.com
Sri Devaraj Urs Higher Education and Research, Tamaka, Kolar, India
Anees Fathima Thabassum Sri Devaraj Urs Higher Education and Research, Tamaka, Kolar, India
K. N. V. Prasad Sri Devaraj Urs Higher Education and Research, Tamaka, Kolar, India
Ravishankar Sri Devaraj Urs Higher Education and Research, Tamaka, Kolar, India

Keywords:

diet, healthy lifestyle, innovative nutrition, nutrition knowledge, school-based intervention

Abstract

Malnutrition in school-going children may be attributed to non-communicable diseases, psychological distress, and inadequate living standards. To address this issue, it is imperative to implement an intervention program aimed at enhancing understanding of nutrition education. The study aims to introduce the Kolar Nutrition Education Intervention Programme (KNEIP) to children and assess their knowledge. A total of 418 schoolchildren from urban and rural areas participated in this study. The experimental group comprised of 237 participants, whereas 181 children who did not partake in the nutrition education package served as controls. The intervention program was conducted over five weeks, featuring five sessions that covered various topics related to nutrition. Teaching strategies and activities employed during the intervention included small group discussions and group work. Only 3.3 percent of the study participants achieved a fair score (50-75% of answers were correct) in the pre-intervention phase, which encompassed all sessions combined. However, this percentage rose to 50.6% following the implementation of the intervention (P<0.0001). The study also revealed that 17.0% of the participants were overweight, while 10.9% were obese. This research demonstrates that a school nutrition intervention program can yield positive outcomes in enhancing the nutrition knowledge of school children.

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