A Qualitative Phenomenological Exploration of Teachers’ Experience with Nutrition Education

Background: Nutrition education delivered by classroom teachers has become a popular intervention designed to combat childhood obesity. However, few qualitative studies have explored nutrition education with teachers. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore how elementary teachers describe their experience with nutrition education. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological approach was used. Semistructured interviews, observations, and document analysis were conducted with 10 teachers who delivered nutrition education in their classrooms. Inductive coding was used to determine invariant constituents, reduce constituents to categories, and cluster categories into themes. Reliability and validity were accomplished through intercoder agreement, audio recording, triangulation, bracketing, and member checking. Results: Results identified 5 core themes related to roles teachers play in nutrition education, the importance placed upon nutrition, motivation for supplementary activities, barriers, and a triadic relationship between students, teachers, and curriculum. Discussion: Findings reveal interactions within the nutrition education experience in which teachers balance barriers with their value of nutrition education and motivation to help students make healthy choices. Translation to Health Education Practice: Health educators should work with classroom teachers at the program design, implementation, and evaluation stages of curriculum development to better address needs and facilitate the delivery of high-quality nutrition education for students

A Qualitative Phenomenological Exploration of Teachers’ Experience with Nutrition Education

Background: Nutrition education delivered by classroom teachers has become a popular intervention designed to combat childhood obesity. However, few qualitative studies have explored nutrition education with teachers. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore how elementary teachers describe their experience with nutrition education. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological approach was used. Semistructured interviews, observations, and document analysis were conducted with 10 teachers who delivered nutrition education in their classrooms. Inductive coding was used to determine invariant constituents, reduce constituents to categories, and cluster categories into themes. Reliability and validity were accomplished through intercoder agreement, audio recording, triangulation, bracketing, and member checking. Results: Results identified 5 core themes related to roles teachers play in nutrition education, the importance placed upon nutrition, motivation for supplementary activities, barriers, and a triadic relationship between students, teachers, and curriculum. Discussion: Findings reveal interactions within the nutrition education experience in which teachers balance barriers with their value of nutrition education and motivation to help students make healthy choices. Translation to Health Education Practice: Health educators should work with classroom teachers at the program design, implementation, and evaluation stages of curriculum development to better address needs and facilitate the delivery of high-quality nutrition education for students

Relationships between Nutrition-Related Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, and Behavior for Fifth Grade Students Attending Title I and Non-Title I Schools

The Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) is a widely used theory for nutrition education programming. Better understanding the relationships between knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavior among children of various income levels can help to form and improve nutrition programs, particularly for socioeconomically disadvantaged youth. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavior among fifth grade students attending Title I (≥ 40% of students receiving free or reduced school meals) and non-Title I schools (\u3c 40% of students receiving free or reduced school meals). A validated survey was completed by 55 fifth grade students from Title I and 122 from non-Title I schools. Differences in knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavior scores between groups were assessed using t test and adjusted for variations between participating schools. Regression analysis was used to determine the relationships between knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavior. In adjusted models, the Title I group had significantly lower scores on several knowledge items and summary knowledge (P = 0.04). The Title I group had significantly lower scores on several behavior variables including intakes of fruits (P = 0.02), vegetables (P = 0.0005), whole grains (P = 0.0003), and lean protein (P = 0.047), physical activity (P = 0.002) and summary behavior (P = 0.001). However the Title I group scored higher on self-efficacy for meal planning (P = 0.04) and choosing healthy snacks (P = 0.036). Both self-efficacy (β = 0.70, P \u3c 0.0001) and knowledge (β = 0.35, P = 0.002) strongly predicted behavior; however, only self-efficacy remained significant in the Title I group (self-efficacy, β = 0.82, P = 0.0003; knowledge, β = 0.11, P = 0.59). Results demonstrate disparities in nutrition knowledge and behavior outcomes between students surveyed from Title I and non-Title I schools, suggesting more resources may be necessary for lower income populations. Findings suggest that future nutrition interventions should focus on facilitating the improvement of children\u27s self-efficac

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An Evaluation and Exploration of Nutrition Education in Elementary Schools

Childhood obesity is a significant problem in the United States. Obese children suffer from a variety of physical, emotional, and social consequences. To curb or reduce this problem, school-based nutrition education interventions have become more common. However, little research has been conducted concerning nutrition-related socioeconomic disparities in behavior change constructs for low and high income children, which is integral to forming appropriate theory-based interventions and allocating resources appropriately. Research into classroom teachers’ perspectives is also an area in need of strengthening to better inform interventions. Finally, the School Enrichment Kit Program (SEKP), a current interactive, classroom-based, nutrition and physical activity curriculum for K-2 grades is a unique intervention that necessitates evaluation to justify further use. The purposes of this study were to: (a) develop, validate, and test a survey instrument measuring behavior, self-efficacy, and knowledge for elementary students, (b) determine differences in behavior, self-efficacy, and knowledge for low and high income students, and the relationships between these constructs, (c) evaluate a novel K-2 nutrition and physical activity curricula, and (d) explore teachers’ experience of nutrition education. Among all four studies, a total of 10 teachers and 482 students participated. Surveys with students were conducted in their regular classrooms and observations, interviews, and document analysis were conducted with teachers. The survey developed in this study was found to be a valid and reliable tool for nutrition and physical activity measurement in fifth grade students. Comparison of low and high income schools demonstrated significantly lower knowledge and behavior scores in low income, as well as differences in construct relationships. SEKP was determined to be effective at improving vegetable consumption, breakfast consumption, and some knowledge. Finally, teachers identified five themes as part of their nutrition education experience: Meaningful roles, importance, mutual perceived influences, supplementary education and motivation, and barriers. These studies demonstrate that more resources may need to be allocated to the socioeconomically disadvantaged, the interactive SEKP is a promising intervention and should be further investigated, and teachers are highly invested in nutrition education, so efforts should be made to reduce their barriers. Advisors: Julie A. Albrecht and Weiwen Cha

A Pilot Mixed Methods Evaluation Study of the Effectiveness of an After-School Cooking Club Curriculum for Middle School Students

Introduction: Obesity has exponentially increased each decade, with approximately one third of the adult American population obese and another one third overweight. More startling is that these trends are rising in children as well. With economic, health, social, mental, and emotional consequences, childhood obesity has quickly risen as a significant issue to tackle. Increases in fast food consumption have been linked with overweight status, and home cooked meals are slowly becoming part of the past. The adolescent time period, in which children are slowly gaining more autonomy and conducting their activities independent from their parents, is an optimal time to stage a cooking skill intervention. The few studies that have thus far been conducted involving cooking interventions show promise and room for further investigation using a mixed methods approach. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a cooking intervention in 6th-8th grade students in an after-school setting in terms of change in knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and parental interaction. Secondarily, it sought to determine which teaching method was most effective in engaging students. Methods: A convergent model under the triangulation mixed methods model design was used. Data collected included pre- and post-youth surveys (quantitative), focus groups (qualitative), and observations (quantitative and qualitative). A cooking intervention comprised of eight sessions spread out over eight weeks and lasting 45 minutes per week was conducted with 6th-8th grade middle school students (n=10) in their participating middle school’s home economics classroom. Results: Data indicated that results of the intervention included: 1. Increased cooking skill knowledge, 2. No behavior change, 3. Positive attitude toward cooking, 4. Little to no parental interaction in terms of cooking, 5.Interactive teaching method was most effective 6. Increased group cooperation. Conclusion and Implications: This study indicated that through an after-school cooking club, it is possible to increase the knowledge of 6th-8th grade students, especially with the use of more interactive teaching methods. More research is needed to determine how to create behavior change and increase student/parent interaction involving cooking. Advisor: Candace Kohnk