THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NUTRITION INSTRUCTION ON STUDENT NUTRITION KNOWLEDGE AND FOOD CHOICES

This quasi-experimental study used a pretest-posttest design to determine the effects of fourteen hours of nutrition instruction on nutrition knowledge and food selection of high school students. Nutrition knowledge was measured by a 57-item test. A food selection chart allowed numbers to be assigned to subjects’ choices of foods for one day. Multiple regression analysis indicated students who received instruction in nutrition scored significantly higher on the nutrition knowledge posttest than students who did not receive the instruction. No significant difference was found in food selection between the two groups. A conclusion was that nutrition education does improve knowledge of nutrition; however, it does not seem to greatly influence food choices. Through healthy eating habits, certain diseases and disorders such as heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, dental complications and gastrointestinal disorders can be prevented or at least positively influenced (Keon, 1997). According to Peterson, Kris-Etherton, and Sigman-Grant (1994), healthy eating habits adopted in childhood may facilitate healthier eating habits in adulthood. Adolescents often lack the knowledge and experience necessary t