Classroom Teachers’ Attitudes to Nutrition Education and the School Food Environment: An Online Survey in Turkey

The objective of this study to determine the attitudes of elementary school teachers in Turkey towards nutrition education, nutrition courses in schools and the school food environment and to analyze differences by gender. The study used a cross-sectional online survey design. Descriptive statistics were used for the demographic characteristics and teachers’ attitudes. Teachers’ attitudes by gender were analyzed using independent t tests. Participants were 1796 elementary classroom teachers in 527 schools, 56% male. Teachers rated highly that classroom nutrition education is very important (mean = 4.17 on a 5-point scale), and should be practical (3.66); that nutrition taught as a separate subject was more likely to be effective (3.99) and government agencies, universities, and teachers should collaborate to provide it (4.34). They agreed that the school food environment can have a positive influence on student nutrition habits (4.32). Women teachers judged all attitude statements more positively than men, many significantly so. Classroom teachers have very positive attitudes towards practical nutrition education in the classroom and improving the school food environment. Providing teachers with the necessary culturally-based curricula and skills and having them collaborate with relevant agencies and organizations may contribute to their effectiveness.Keywords: teacher attitudes, nutrition education, nutrition courses, school food environment, food serviceDOI: 10.7176/JHMN/75-1

A Secondary Analysis of Maternal Ultra-Processed Food Intake in Women with Overweight or Obesity and Associations with Gestational Weight Gain and Neonatal Body Composition Outcomes

This study is an observational secondary analysis of the Lifestyle Intervention for Two (LIFT) randomised controlled trial data. There is a paucity of data related to mechanisms of health effects and dietary intake of ultra-processed foods (UPF). Earlier studies demonstrate associations between greater UPF intake and weight gain. The purpose of the study was to describe associations among maternal UPF intake with gestational weight gain (GWG) and neonatal body composition. Women with overweight or obesity (n=156) and offspring (n=126) with complete energy intake, anthropometrics and body composition measures were selected. Maternal weights and diet recalls (Automated Self-Administered 24) were measured at weeks 14 and 35 gestational age (GA). Body composition was assessed by infant quantitative magnetic resonance (infant-QMR) and air displacement plethysmography (ADP) at birth. Dependent variables were GWG and neonatal fat mass, fat-free mass, and lean mass at birth; covariates were dietary, socioeconomic and biological. Stepwise linear regressions were used to test associations. Highest quartile of percentage of energy intake from UPF (PEI-UPF) was not significantly correlated with maternal GWG (p=0.215), infant QMR fat (p=0.816) and lean mass (p=0.423) or ADP fat (p=0.482) or fat-free mass (p=0.835). While no significant associations with UPF were observed in this smaller size cohort, further investigations would be justified in larger cohorts on the relationships of maternal UPF intake and GWG and offspring outcomes. Clinical Trial NCT0161614

Generational Differences in Psychosocial Predictors of Fat-Related Dietary Behavior in Chinese Americans

The purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of variables from psychosocial models of health behavior in explaining fat-related dietary behaviors among a sample of first and second generation Chinese Americans living in New York City. A survey questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of 743 Chinese Americans, ranging in age from 21 to 73. The questionnaire measured demographic factors, degree of acculturation, and psychosocial scales derived from the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Health Belief Model. The dependent measures assessed were behaviors related to the selection of reduced-fat diets. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine the association of the psychosocial factors with the dependent outcomes. For first generation Chinese, attitude, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy contributed to 19% of the variance of behaviors related to fat reduction. In the second generation sample, attitude, perceived barriers, and overall health concern accounted for 39% of the variance in the prediction of dietary fat reduction behaviors. Predictability of behavioral intention using these psychosocial factors ranged from 49% to 58%. Nutrition educators need to acknowledge the salience of specific psychosocial factors highlighted in each generation of Chinese Americans

Usefulness of Psychosocial Theory Variables in Explaining Fat-Related Dietary Behavior in Chinese Americans: Association With Degree of Acculturation

Objective: To determine the usefulness of variables from psychosocial models of health behavior in explaining fat-related dietary behavior among a sample of Chinese Americans. Design: A survey questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of Chinese Americans and analyzed for descriptive statistics and relationships among variables. Subjects/Settings: Participants were 600 healthy individuals, ranging from 25 to 70 years of age, living in New York City. Variables Measured: Demographic factors, degree of acculturation, food preferences, and 13 social psychological scales derived from the Theory of Planned Behavior, the Healthy Belief Model, and Social Cognitive Theory. Dependent measures assessed were intention to reduce dietary fat and behaviors related to the selection of reduced-fat diets. Statistical Analyses: Descriptive statistics, Pearsons\u27 correlation coefficients, t-tests, one-way analyses of variance, and multiple regression analyses were used. Results: Attitude, overall health concern, and self-efficacy accounted for 58% of the variance in behavioral intention for the entire sample. Attitude, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy accounted for 19% of the variance in the prediction of dietary fat reduction behaviors. In general, a gradient was seen in the increased predictiveness of each regression model by degree of acculturation of the immigrants to American culture: predictiveness (R2) for behavior ranged from 15% for the least to 34% for the most acculturated. Acculturation was significantly related to declines in the influence of habit and of social norms.These effects were not seen by length of residency. Implications: Nutrition educators should assess the degree of acculturation of groups with whom they work and recognize that the degree of acculturation impacts the relative importance of various psychosocial variables in fat reduction behaviors

Computer-mediated intervention tailored on transtheoretical model stages and processes of change increases fruit and vegetable consumption among urban African-American adolescents

Purpose. To examine the efficacy of an intervention based on the transtheoretical model (TTM) for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among economically disadvantaged African-American adolescents. Design. Pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study. Setting. Youth services agencies located in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Agencies were assigned to computer intervention (CIN) and nonintervention control study arms. Subjects. A total of 507 African-American adolescents ages 11 to 14 years. Intervention. Youths in the CIN arm completed four 30-minute intervention sessions tailored on TTM stages and processes of change. Measures. Self-reported fruit and vegetable consumption and stages, pros, cons, and self-efficacy for consumption. Analysis. Intervention effects were examined with analysis of covariance models that were controlled for demographic variables and baseline measures of each outcome. Chi-square analyses were used to examine between-arm differences in youths\u27 stage progressions. Results. After adjustment by covariates, pros (p \u3c .025) and fruit and vegetable consumption (p \u3c .001) varied significantly with study arm. Youths in the CIN arm had higher pro scores and fruit and vegetable consumption than controls. More youths in the CIN arm than in the control arm progressed to later stages and maintained recommended intake levels (p \u3c .05). Conclusions. A TTM-based intervention can increase fruit and vegetable intake and effect positive changes in TTM variables related to intake among economically disadvantaged African-American adolescents. Copyright © 2008 by American Journal of Health Promotion, Inc

from Global Sustainability to Inclusive Education: Understanding Urban Children\u27s Ideas About the Food System

The purpose of this paper is to report our findings from a qualitative study intended to develop our understandings of: what high-poverty urban children understand and believe about food and food systems; and how such children transform and use that knowledge in their everyday lives (i.e. how do they express their scientific literacies including content understandings, process understandings, habits of mind in these content areas). This qualitative study is part of a larger study focused on understanding and developing science and nutritional literacies among high-poverty urban fourth-grade through sixth-grade students and their teachers and caregivers

Application of the transtheoretical model to fruit and vegetable consumption among economically disadvantaged African-American adolescents: Preliminary findings

Purpose. To examine the application of the transtheoretical model (TTM) to fruit and vegetable consumption among economically disadvantaged African-American adolescents. Methods. Scales for measuring decisional balance, situational self-efficacy, and processes of change for fruit and vegetable consumption were developed and pretested with 57 economically disadvantaged African-American adolescents. The scales and measures for assessing stages of change, demographic variables, and fruit and vegetable consumption were administered to a separate sample of 262 participants, t-tests for independent samples and analysis of variance were used to examine differences in TTM variables and fruit and vegetable consumption across stages of change. Results. Two-factor solutions for decisional balance and processes of change and a three-factor solution for situational self-efficacy provided the best fit to the data. Alpha coefficients of reliability for the scales ranged from .77 (experiential change processes) to .91 (pros). Participants in action-maintenance stages evidenced higher pros, self-efficacy, and fruit and vegetable consumption and significantly lower cons than did participants in precontemplation and contemplation-preparation stages. Also, participants in action-maintenance stages used processes of change more frequently than did those in precontemplation-contemplation-preparation stages. The use of experiential and behavioral processes within these stages did not differ significantly, as posited. Discussion. Observed differences in TTM variables and fruit and vegetable consumption by stage of change in this sample of economically disadvantaged African-American adolescents were consistent with theory and previous applications of the model to fruit and vegetable consumption in adults. With replication studies, the TTM may be appropriate for designing interventions to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among this population. Copyright © 2006 by American Journal of Health Promotion, Inc

Teachers’ Resources to Support School Lunch: Professional Development Is Warranted

In the United States, many children who come from low-income backgrounds and experience food insecurity do not take and eat school lunch, despite it being a nutritious meal. Teachers could play a role in encouraging students’ consumption of school lunch; however, teachers in America are traditionally uninvolved in the lunch period. The purpose of this research was to understand the resources kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) teachers need to encourage students to take and eat school lunch. Two data collection workshops and semi-structured follow-up interviews were conducted with K-12 teachers. The workshops and interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for salient themes. Ten teachers participated in the workshops and six teachers participated in the follow-up interviews. In general, teachers believe school meals are essential for students’ focus and behavior in the classroom. However, to encourage students to take and eat school lunch, teachers need support and resources. From the workshops and interviews, three themes emerged: (1) improvements in the food quality; (2) school community support; and (3) professional development. The data suggests professional development is the greatest resource teachers need, as professional development can enhance teachers’ motivation to advocate for better food quality and engage school community support. Greater teacher involvement in school lunch could lay the groundwork for future healthier generations