Assessment of School-Based Quasi-Experimental Nutrition and Food Safety Health Education for Primary School Students in Two Poverty-Stricken Counties of West China

Abstract

BackgroundFew studies on nutrition and food safety education intervention for students in remote areas of China were reported. The study aimed to assess the questionnaire used to measure the knowledge, attitude and behavior with respect to nutrition and food safety, and to evaluate the effectiveness of a quasi-experimental nutrition and food safety education intervention among primary school students in poverty-stricken counties of west China.MethodsTwelve primary schools in west China were randomly selected from Zhen’an of Shaanxi province and Huize of Yunnan province. Six geographically dispersed schools were assigned to the intervention group in a nonrandom way. Knowledge, attitude and behavior questionnaire was developed, assessed, and used for outcome measurement. Students were investigated at baseline and the end of the study respectively without follow-up. Students in intervention group received targeted nutrition and food safety lectures 0.5 hour per week for two semesters. Item response theory was applied for assessment of questionnaire, and a two-level difference-in-differences model was applied to assess the effectiveness of the intervention.ResultsThe Cronbach’s alpha of the original questionnaire was 0.84. According to item response model, 22 knowledge items, 6 attitude items and 8 behavior items showed adequate discrimination parameter and were retained. 378 and 478 valid questionnaires were collected at baseline and the end point. Differences of demographic characteristics were statistically insignificant between the two groups. Two-level difference-in-differences models showed that health education improved 2.92 (95% CI: 2.06–3.78) and 2.92 (95% CI: 1.37–4.47) in knowledge and behavior scores respectively, but had no effect on attitude.ConclusionThe questionnaire met the psychometric standards and showed good internal consistence and discrimination power. The nutrition and food safety education was effective in improving the knowledge and behavior of primary school students in the two poverty-stricken counties of China.

Experts’ views regarding Australian school‐leavers’ knowledge of nutrition and food systems

“…An Australian study of consumers’ food safety knowledge indicated poor safety knowledge was negatively associated with health education at school 12 . International studies have also reported positive effects of school‐based nutrition and food safety education on students’ knowledge and behaviour 36,37 . In addition, the important role of parents’ knowledge and behaviour on their children's understanding and practices of N&Fs related issues identified in the current study has also been reported in international studies on the (positive) influence of parents as role models for healthy eating behaviour among teenagers 38 and middle school students 39 .…”

“…12 International studies have also reported positive effects of schoolbased nutrition and food safety education on students' knowledge and behaviour. 36,37 In addition, the important role of parents' knowledge and behaviour on their children's understanding and practices of N&Fs related issues identified in the current study has also been reported in international studies on the (positive) influence of parents as role models for healthy eating behaviour among teenagers 38 and middle school students. 39 This reinforces the need to consider nutrition education in a wider context than just what may or may not occur in schools and the need to explore the potential to promote important N&FS topics within the supportive environment of the family.…”

Pengembangan media edukasi gizi berbasis android dan website serta pengaruhnya terhadap perilaku tentang gizi seimbang siswa sekolah dasar

“…Penurunan yang paling banyak terjadi pada kelompok kontrol, bahkan lebih rendah dibandingkan baseline, dan termasuk kategori pengetahuan sedang. Hasil dari berbagai penelitian, intervensi edukasi gizi dapat meningkatkan perilaku anak SD dengan efektivitas yang berbeda-beda (Kocken et al 2013;Nuryanto et al 2014;Shariff et al 2008;Shen et al 2015;Wells et al 2015).…”

Quantifying traditional Chinese medicine patterns using modern test theory: an example of functional constipation

“…Quasi-trait refers to a unipolar construct in which one end of the scale represents a disease, while the other pole represents its absence [19]. This is in contrast to a bipolar construct (such as literacy and knowledge) where both ends of the scale represent meaningful variation [20, 21]. In clinical settings, a construct of quasi-trait(s) is more useful in assessing the severity of a disease, because the minimum ability level indicates the absence of a disease or pattern rather than health.…”