Some factors that could influence adolescent eating behavior include: peer influences, nutrition knowledge and beliefs, mass media, and parental dietary habits. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation of nutrition knowledge and eating behavior of a sample of middle school children. The participants were 532 students in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades between the ages of 11 and 13 from Shawnee Middle School in Lima, Ohio. The students were asked to answer a questionnaire, CANKAP (Comprehensive Assessment of Nutrition Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices), which measured their nutrition knowledge and eating behavior. The CANKAP questionnaire consisted of 30 questions for sixth-grade students and 35 questions for seventh and eighth-grade students. Also, the participants were asked to identify their gender. The findings indicated that females had higher mean nutrition knowledge scores than boys in the seventh and eighth grades. There was no correlation between nutrition knowledge and food choices in the sixth-grade male or female students. However, there was a correlation between nutrition knowledge and food choices for girls in the seventh and eighth grades. In addition there was a correlation between nutrition knowledge and food choices for boys in the seventh and eighth grades.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between nutrition knowledge and eating behavior of a sample of middle school children. The participants were 532 students in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades from Shawnee Middle School in Lima, Ohio. The students were asked to a complete a questionnaire (CANKAP--Comprehensive Assessment of Nutrition Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices), which measured nutrition knowledge and eating behavior, and is reproduced here. The data were coded and computer-analyzed using the SAS statistical program for analysis by frequency distribution, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson Correlation Coefficients. Data analysis provided the following results: Mean nutrition knowledge scores of sixth grade students (68.4) were higher than mean nutrition knowledge scores of seventh and eighth grade students (58.5 per cent). The relationship between nutrition knowledge and eating behavior was insignificant for sixth grade students, but significant for seventh and eighth grade students. Also, "Caucasians" had higher mean knowledge scores than "Other" ethnic groups combined. The students demonstrated knowledge about the cultural and psychological aspects of nutrition. However, they were not able to identify the food sources of nutrients or nutrient functions, and they did not use a daily food guide to choose foods, although they were aware of the importance of milk and vegetable consumption. Knowledge about nutrition and healthy eating behavior appears to be weak within this group, and it would be beneficial to promote a nutrition curriculum for students in middle schools.

Some factors that could influence adolescent eating behavior include: peer influences, nutrition knowledge and beliefs, mass media, and parental dietary habits. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation of nutrition knowledge and eating behavior of a sample of middle school children. The participants were 532 students in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades between the ages of 11 and 13 from Shawnee Middle School in Lima, Ohio. The students were asked to answer a questionnaire, CANKAP (Comprehensive Assessment of Nutrition Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices), which measured their nutrition knowledge and eating behavior. The CANKAP questionnaire consisted of 30 questions for sixth-grade students and 35 questions for seventh and eighth-grade students. Also, the participants were asked to identify their gender. The findings indicated that females had higher mean nutrition knowledge scores than boys in the seventh and eighth grades. There was no correlation between nutrition knowledge and food choices in the sixth-grade male or female students. However, there was a correlation between nutrition knowledge and food choices for girls in the seventh and eighth grades. In addition there was a correlation between nutrition knowledge and food choices for boys in the seventh and eighth grades.

Eating behaviors of children and adolescents are important in establishing adults’ preferences and behaviors. Nutrition knowledge is one of the factors that could influence an adolescent’s eating behavior. Therefore the relationship between nutrition knowledge and eating behaviors of adolescents was examined in this research project. The participants were students from a middle school in Ohio. The students were asked to answer a questionnaire CANKAP (Comprehensive Assessment of Nutrition Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices), which measured nutrition knowledge and eating behavior. The results indicated that the relationship between nutrition knowledge and eating behavior was insignificant for sixth grade students, but significant for seventh and eighth grade students. The students were not able to identify the food sources of nutrients or nutrient functions, and they did not use a daily food guide to choose foods, although they were aware of the importance of milk and vegetable consumption. The findings in this study will add to the limited research data currently defining the relationship between nutrition knowledge and the eating behaviors of middle school students.

The purpose of this study is to explore the possible obstacles in women’s pathway to a principalship;and examine if these obstacles have changed over the past two decades because of women’schanging roles.