Bursa Özel Tan İlköğretim Okulu Öğrencilerinde Beslenme Eğitimi Müdahale Çalışması

Abstract

A healthy, balanced and adequate nutrition habits gained during childhood period would continue to be a lifelong habits. As a result of this, it's very important for primary school children aged between 7-14 years, to gain healthy food habits. The nutrition education that will be provided to school children will bring the right eating habits in their life. The aim of this study is, through a nutrition education program, to change student's basic level of knowledge of adequate and balanced diet in a positive way and to gain healthy eating habits. In this intervention study, children (21 intervention and 21 control),mainly 9 years of age group, were included in the study. Food intakes wererecorded for three consecutive days,one day being a week-end day, using 24 hourdietary recall. The differences between the family's socio-demographic characteristics, students’dietary intake data, breakfast habits, physical activity levels were identified. Anthropometric measurements were evaluated. A pre-test,containing 50 questions were applied to both intervention and control groups. Same test was re-applied to the intervention group also after the intervention periods of after 3 months and 18 months. The results of the pre-training and post-training tests indicate a statistically significant differences (p<0.05) as the mean score of students were 60.8±10.5 points before the training, compared to the 85.1±5.5 points 3 months after the training and 80.0±11.8 points 18 months after the training.After nutrition education,intervention group showed a significant increase in test results. Increase in the consumption of foods, such as milk, cheese, egg, red meat, legumes, vegetables, fruit, bread, honey, jam, whereasdecrease in the consumption of foods such as rice, pasta, oil, sugar, desert and student's junk food habits, acid drinks, french fries, hamburger and pizza weredetermined.Statistical differences between the pretest and posttest of male studentsin the intakes of energy, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin C, iron and zinc were found. Otherwise, there were differences between the pretest and posttest results of female studentsin the intakes of fiber and calcium (p<0.05) and males intakes of energy, niacin, vitamin C, sodium and calcium (p<0.05). Also the differences between the pretest and posttests of females intakes of vitamin D from foods and zinc were found significantly important (p<0.05). In conclusion, education on adequate and healthy nutrition is important for children and it could be recommended thatcontinuous education programs should be provided for students, teachers and families.