Evaluation of a Theater Production About Eating Behavior of Children

Abstract

This study evaluated "All's Well That Eats Well," a theater production performed in 20 schools in the Twin Cities, Minn., metropolitan area in winter 2000. The production sought to change food-related knowledge and food choices concerning fruits and vegetables among children in grades 1-6. The study used a pretest-posttest design with two randomly-assigned, sequential intervention-control groups (N = 4,093). All students completed surveys prior to and then following the theater production and the classroom and home activities. No differences existed between the groups at pretest. Significant differences occurred in food-related knowledge, food choices, and food recall from pretest to posttest for all students. Significant differences also occurred between intervention groups in food-related knowledge and food choices. The study indicates that professional theater productions in schools can create at least a short-term effect on children's nutrition knowledge and behavior.

Getting the message across: does the use of drama aid education in palliative care?

“…It has been suggested that drama may be a cost-effective way for health care organisations to promote health among young people in the community (Perry et al 2002). An attempt was made to alter the HIV knowledge, attitudes and risk behaviour of young people in socially deprived areas of Glasgow through the use of drama (Elliot et al 1996).…”

“…Drama, or theatre, has been used as an educational medium to promote healthy lifestyles (Cheney et al 2006;Elliot et al 1996;Perry et al 2002); teach communication skills to trainee health professionals (Case and Brauner 2010;Baldwin 2009;Kumagai et al 2007;Rosenbaum et al 2005;Deloney and Graham 2003;Shapiro and Hunt 2003); promote environmental awareness (Gaskell and Taylor 2002); encourage the general public to engage in health policy development (Nisker et al 2006) and to disseminate the results of research studies (Gray et al 2000). Drama has been used with a range of audiences, including adults, young people, children, and rural communities.…”

“…In the area of health education, drama productions have been used to engage children and to teach them skills in healthy eating (Perry et al 2002). With rising levels of obesity in children (Baranowski et al 2000), which tend to track into adulthood (Boreham et al 2004), there is a need to find stimulating methods of helping children understand the need for healthy eating and how they can change their behaviour.…”

“…With rising levels of obesity in children (Baranowski et al 2000), which tend to track into adulthood (Boreham et al 2004), there is a need to find stimulating methods of helping children understand the need for healthy eating and how they can change their behaviour. Students in 20 primary schools completed surveys before and after watching a theatre production, which also had accompanying classroom activities and take home materials for parents to use with their children (Perry et al 2002). Most children enjoyed watching the play, believed they learned about food choice and recalled information contained in the play.…”

“…The theatre production used by the Perry et al (2002) study, of the eating behaviour of primary school children, was based on social cognitive theory (SCT, Glanz et al 2002). The content covered personal, behaviour and socioenvironmental factors predictive of eating behaviours, as specified in SCT.…”