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Degree

Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Akron, Nutrition and Dietetics, 2008.

Abstract

Background: Research indicates that nutrition education during the grade-school years can impact the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors and have a positive effect on health outcomes. The school environment provides an ideal setting in which to incorporate such educational messages, but the availability of nutrition education curricula that are age-appropriate, accessible to classroom teachers, and standardized is lacking. Purpose: This study aimed to determine the feasibility of adapting a national nutrition education curriculum, Game On! The Ultimate Wellness Challenge, for use in the classroom and to evaluate its ability to increase basic nutrition knowledge in an ethnically diverse, economically disadvantaged, population of elementary school students. Methods: Thirty-one fourth grade students from a local elementary school participated in educational sessions during which the Game On! curriculum was used to teach and reinforce basic nutrition concepts. Students completed an assessment of nutrition knowledge pre- and post-intervention. Results: Mean score of nutrition knowledge increased (39.06 ±4.66 to 41.07 ±2.89) with participation in Game On!, although not significantly (t = 0.03, p< 0.05). Content-specific knowledge was also increased after participation in the program. Conclusions: Game On! The Ultimate Wellness Challenge demonstrated some potential for use in the classroom. Due to the variety of limitations observed with this study, however, the curriculum must be evaluated further before definitive conclusions can be drawn about its efficacy in relation to its ability to increase nutrition knowledge in this population.

Subject Headings

Elementary education; Health education; Nutrition; Public health

Keywords

child nutrition; nutrition education; nutrition knowledge

Advisor

Deborah Marino, PhD (Advisor)

Pages

97p.

Document number: akron1216835487
Permalink: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1216835487

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