9 research outputs found
School-based nutrition education : features and challenges for success
PURPOSE – The aim of this review is to critically assess published articles on school-based nutrition
education (NE) intervention to identify factors hindering or contributing to the success of interventions.
School-based NE possesses the capacity to influence learners’ nutrition behaviours.
DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH – An electronic search of articles was conducted in Medline,
PubMed, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases, Google and
snowballing. Included in the review were school-based studies with classroom NE with or without
nutrition services and studies published between 2000 and 2013. School-based non-intervention studies
and interventions that did not include a nutrition teaching component were excluded in the review.
FINDINGS – Thirty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Features of successful NE interventions
included the use of behavioural theories, especially the social cognitive theory and the involvement of
trained teachers in the implementation of interventions. Capacity development for teachers, time
constraints, school policies and implementation problems of multicomponent interventions were some
of the identified challenges encountered in the studies reviewed.
ORIGINALITY/VALUE – Trained teachers are invaluable assets in interventions to improve nutrition
behaviours of learners. Challenges associated with teacher-oriented school-based NE intervention can
be overcome by properly designed and implemented interventions based on behavioural theory.http://www.emeraldinsight.com/0034-6659.htmhb201
A cross-sectional comparison of nutrition knowledge, attitudes and dietary practices between learners and teachers in primary schools in a resource limited community in Bronkhorstspruit, South Africa
Optimal nutrition knowledge is necessary for healthy dietary
behaviours to occur. Nutrition knowledge, attitudes and dietary practices (KAP) scores for
learners have been variously reported in literature, however with little or no information on
how the nutrition KAP status of teachers impart on learners. The study aimed to assess the
nutrition KAP status of learners and of teachers in order to ascertain the impact and transfer
of nutrition information from teachers to learners. The results suggest that teachers’ high
nutrition knowledge and attitudes status have not been effectively impacted on learners.
It also suggests a need to improve or modify methods of nutrition information delivery by
teachers in a way to improve learners’ dietary behaviours.This paper was initially
delivered at the Faculty of
Education and Department of
Physiology at the University
of Pretoria, Groenkloof
Campus, South Africa on
16 October 2013.http://www.satnt.ac.zaam201
Nutrition education practices of primary school teachers in a resource-constrained community in Gauteng, South Africa
We investigated the nutrition education (NE) practices of teachers of grade 4‒7 learners in 11 primary schools (85% of total number) of the Bronkhorstspruit district (Gauteng Province) to identify opportunities for improving NE in these schools. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was carried out among a convenient sample of the teachers (N = 73) using a structured nutrition education practice questionnaire. Descriptive data analysis was done. Results showed that the majority of the teachers taught nutrition in about 10% to 20% of their teaching time. Thirty percent had no training to teach nutrition, and most teachers (86%) would like to receive training in nutrition. Teachers mostly taught nutrition as part of the curriculum (67%) and very few (18%) integrated nutrition into other subjects. Needing improvement were adequate classroom time for nutrition education delivery, continuing training in nutrition for teachers, and provision of up-to-date instructional materials for teaching nutrition.The University of Pretoria’s Strategic Institutional Research Theme
through the Institute for Food, Nutrition and Wellbeing (IFNuW), the Nestle Nutrition
Institute Africa (NNIA), and the Association of African Universities (AAU).http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/gefn202017-10-31hb2016Educational PsychologyHuman NutritionPhysiologyScience, Mathematics and Technology Educatio
Teachers' perceptions of school nutrition education's influence on eating behaviours of learners in the Bronkhorstspruit District
Qualitative investigation can provide invaluable information towards understanding the influence of school nutrition education (NE). The study explored teachers' perceptions of the immediate impact of NE on learners' eating behaviours. Twenty-four primary school teachers in the Bronkhorstspruit district, Gauteng, South Africa, who taught nutrition topics to grades four to seven learners, participated in three focus group discussions. Transcript data obtained was analysed using the thematic approach of the framework method. Findings indicated that school support for NE was limited, which undermined the capacity of school NE to influence healthy eating behaviours of learners. The need to strengthen teachers' capacity to model positive eating behaviours was identified. Learners were perceived as being not completely ignorant of healthy eating, with limited capacity to effect changes within the resource-constrained environment. Negative influences like unhealthy choices of food from food vendors and peer influences were identified as needing to be discouraged. Positive influences like the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) and the school vegetable garden were to be encouraged. Understanding the prevailing school situation and environment and teachers' perceptions and roles in school NE is important in addressing issues that weaken the influence of NE on learners' eating behaviours
Teachers’ perceptions of school nutrition education’s influence on eating behaviours of learners in the Bronkhorstspruit District
A theory-based contextual nutrition education manual enhanced nutrition teaching skill
BACKGROUND : A theory-based contextual nutrition education manual (NEM) may
enhance effective teaching of nutrition in schools. School nutrition education should lead
to the realization of such benefits as improved health, scholarly achievement leading to
manpower development and consequently the nation’s development. The purpose of
the study was to develop a contextual NEM for teachers of Grade 5 and 6 learners in the
Bronkhorstspruit district, South Africa, and to assess teachers’ perception on the use of
the manual for teaching nutrition.
METHODS : This descriptive case study used an interpretivist paradigm. The study
involved teachers (N = 6) who taught nutrition in Life Skills (LS) and Natural Science
and Technology (NST) in a randomly selected primary school in the Bronkhorstspruit
district. Findings from a nutrition education needs assessment were integrated with the
constructs of the Social cognitive theory (SCT) and the Meaningful learning model (MLM)
and the existing curriculum of the Department of Basic Education (DoBE) to develop a
contextual NEM. Themanual was used by the teachers to teach nutrition to Grades 5 and
6 learners during the 2015 academic year as a pilot project. A focus group discussion
(FDG) was conducted with teachers to gauge their perceptions of the usefulness of the
NEM. Data were analyzed using the thematic approach of the framework method for
qualitative research.
RESULTS : Teachers described the NEM as rich in information, easy to use and perceived
the supporting materials and activities as being effective. The goal setting activities
contained in the NEM were deemed to be ineffective. Teachers felt that they did not
have enough time to teach all the important things that the learners needed to know.
CONCLUSION : Teachers perceived the NEM as helpful toward improving their
nutrition teaching skills.The NEM template may furthermore guide teachers in planning
theory-based nutrition lessons.https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health#am2019Human Nutritio
A Theory-Based Contextual Nutrition Education Manual Enhanced Nutrition Teaching Skill
Background: A theory-based contextual nutrition education manual (NEM) may enhance effective teaching of nutrition in schools. School nutrition education should lead to the realization of such benefits as improved health, scholarly achievement leading to manpower development and consequently the nation's development. The purpose of the study was to develop a contextual NEM for teachers of Grade 5 and 6 learners in the Bronkhorstspruit district, South Africa, and to assess teachers' perception on the use of the manual for teaching nutrition.Methods: This descriptive case study used an interpretivist paradigm. The study involved teachers (N = 6) who taught nutrition in Life Skills (LS) and Natural Science and Technology (NST) in a randomly selected primary school in the Bronkhorstspruit district. Findings from a nutrition education needs assessment were integrated with the constructs of the Social cognitive theory (SCT) and the Meaningful learning model (MLM) and the existing curriculum of the Department of Basic Education (DoBE) to develop a contextual NEM. The manual was used by the teachers to teach nutrition to Grades 5 and 6 learners during the 2015 academic year as a pilot project. A focus group discussion (FDG) was conducted with teachers to gauge their perceptions of the usefulness of the NEM. Data were analyzed using the thematic approach of the framework method for qualitative research.Results: Teachers described the NEM as rich in information, easy to use and perceived the supporting materials and activities as being effective. The goal setting activities contained in the NEM were deemed to be ineffective. Teachers felt that they did not have enough time to teach all the important things that the learners needed to know.Conclusion: Teachers perceived the NEM as helpful toward improving their nutrition teaching skills.The NEM template may furthermore guide teachers in planning theory-based nutrition lessons
A contextual nutrition education program improves nutrition knowledge and attitudes of South African teachers and learners
BACKGROUND : Evaluating the impact of a nutrition education program could provide
insight into the effectiveness of an intervention. Researchers tested the hypothesis that a
theory-based contextual nutrition education program (NEP) would improve the nutrition
knowledge, attitudes, and dietary practices (KAP) of teachers and learners.
METHODS : Twenty three teachers who taught nutrition in Grades 4–7 (treatment
school, n = 12) and 681 learners (treatment school, n = 350) participated in the
study. In this quasi-experimental study, two primary schools were randomly selected to
implement a contextual NEP. The nutrition KAP were assessed using previously validated
questionnaires. The treatment school teachers taught nutrition using a developed
nutrition education manual, while the control school teachers taught nutrition in the usual
manner. Random effects Generalized Least Squares regression estimated the difference
in the teachers’ and learners’ KAP for the treatment and control schools; p = 0.025 for
a one-tailed test.
RESULTS : At post-implementation, the treatment school teachers’ had higher total
nutrition knowledge mean score (85.5% ± 8.2, p = 0.003) compared to the control
school.Within the treatment school, total nutrition knowledgemean score of the teachers
improved by 14.1%, p ≤ 0.001. Learners in the treatment school had higher total nutrition
knowledge (53.2% ± 16.9, p = 0.002) and nutrition attitude (63.9% ± 19.7, p = 0.001)
scores compared to learners in the control school. Within the treatment school, learners’
total nutrition knowledge and nutrition attitudes scores increased by 4.9%, p ≤ 0.001 and
6.9%, p ≤ 0.001, respectively. The dietary practices of the teachers and the learners, and the nutrition attitudes of the teachers in the treatment school showed no significant within
school improvement or in comparison with the control school (p > 0.025).
CONCLUSIONS : The NEP led to the improvement in the teachers’ and the learners’
nutrition knowledge and the learners’ nutrition attitudes. However, no significant
improvement in the dietary practices of either teachers or learners was found.The Institute for Food, Nutrition,
andWell-being of the University of Pretoria, the Nestle Nutrition
Institute Africa, and the Association of African Universities.https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health#am2020Human Nutritio