Teachers’ awareness and perceptions of Health Education Nutrition Programmes in Greece: A qualitative study

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate primary and secondary school teachers’ attitudes and perceptions regarding the usefulness and effectiveness of Health Education Nutrition Programmes (HENPs) in Greece. Design: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Method: In total, 18 teachers (7 men, 11 women), aged 36–55 years, working in primary ( n = 8) and secondary education ( n = 10) were recruited via purposive sampling from three counties in Greece and were interviewed via through an online platform. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. Results: Four main themes were identified: teachers’ awareness of HENPs; the role of the external environment in shaping students’ dietary habits; the value of experiential learning; and barriers and facilitators to the implementation of HENPs. Most teachers considered HENPs important and effective in improving children’s eating habits through experiential learning; however, training and support were very limited. The family has a crucial role in shaping children’s eating habits, which highlights the need for collaboration between school and family. The main barriers for the implementation of HENPs were lack of time and resources. Conclusions and implications: Teachers perceive HENPs as effective tools to improve children’s dietary behaviour. However, they need support/training from experts to deliver them successfully at school. Expert guidance to train the teachers and family involvement are needed to increase the effectiveness of the HENPs used in Greek primary and secondary schools.

Nutrition-Related Knowledge, Diet Quality, Lifestyle, and Body Composition of 7–12-Years-Old Polish Students: Study Protocol of National Educational Project Junior-Edu-Żywienie (JEŻ)

“…Numerous studies conducted in Europe and in North America show that school environment has great potential for promoting a healthy lifestyle, including healthy dietary patterns [ 33 , 63 , 64 , 65 ]. A higher amount of nutrition education classes within the subject “Nutrition and Household” was significantly associated with a higher intake of wholegrain bread and a lower intake of meat and of energy drinks in Austrian students [ 66 ].…”

“…A higher amount of nutrition education classes within the subject “Nutrition and Household” was significantly associated with a higher intake of wholegrain bread and a lower intake of meat and of energy drinks in Austrian students [ 66 ]. Studies also highlight the need for collaboration between the school and family in this matter [ 63 ]. A survey conducted in Finland revealed that support from principals and colleagues was the most important facilitator of food education and lack of time was the barrier [ 64 ].…”

“…American teachers perceived nutrition education important on one hand, but on the other they indicated the need for tailored nutrition materials, qualified nutrition personnel, and school stakeholder support to promote nutrition education at schools [ 33 ]. The necessity of support and training from experts was also pointed out by Greek teachers [ 63 ]. However, the review paper indicated the requirement of conducting more research to inform evidence on the effectiveness of integrative nutrition education for both teacher and student outcomes [ 67 ].…”

The level of nutritional and health awareness among female athletes in Jordan

“…The formation of the body and its vital functions, and the body needs small amounts of it. Vitamins are divided into two groups: Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and others that dissolve in Water and include (groups B and C) [11]. e. Minerals: It is considered one of the main substances for many body processes, and there are about twenty of them Calcium, iron, sodium, iodine, potassium, zinc, and others, and each one of them has a unique role, and in general they are involved in building the skeleton of the body, and they have chemical functions such as iron is necessary for the formation of hemoglobin in the blood, and it has physicochemical tasks by maintaining the osmotic and alkaline pressure and acidity of blood fluids [12].…”