Author : Breanne N. Shirk
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 59 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (52 download)
Book Synopsis A School-based Intervention Increased Nutrition Knowledge in High School Students by : Breanne N. Shirk
Download or read book A School-based Intervention Increased Nutrition Knowledge in High School Students written by Breanne N. Shirk and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 59 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Being overweight or obese as a child further increases the risk for obesity later in life as well as enhances the risk for developing diseases, including metabolic syndrome. Effective education-based nutrition education programs are needed to increase nutrition knowledge to combat the rise in obesity and metabolic syndrome among adolescents. Thus, a pilot summer wellness course was offered to high school students over a 3-week period. The educational intervention focused on physical activity and nutrition education to promote lifelong healthy behavior modifications among adolescents. Three sections of 30 students completed classroom learning and application projects based on the USDA's Team Nutrition curricula. Eighty-two high school students (ages 13-18) consented to participate in the research. Changes in nutrition knowledge were assessed through an examination given before and after the 3-week pilot course. The questions were divided among five domains: nutrition guidelines, energy balance, general nutrition knowledge, lifestyle choice and health outcomes. Total nutrition knowledge significantly increased from pre-test to post-test, 63.4% to 78.8% respectively. Nutrition knowledge significantly increased in four of the five domains-nutrition guidelines, energy balance, general nutrition knowledge, and health outcomes. Students' overall nutritional knowledge increased significantly over the 3-week pilot course. A school-based nutrition education program is an effective approach to develop an understanding of healthy lifestyle behaviors in adolescents. Future research should assess the changes in behaviors resulting from such education.