Assessing The Effectiveness of a Self-Efficacy and Dissonance-Based Intervention on the Nutrition Knowledge and Acceptance of Nutrition Misconceptions of 8th Grade Students

Abstract

Background: Disordered eating attitudes and behaviors, nutrition-related knowledge deficits, and high acceptance rates of nutrition related misinformation concerning harmful weight control behaviors and attitudes are extremely prevalent among adolescents. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a self-efficacy and dissonance-based intervention that incorporates the principles of intuitive eating in improving nutrition related knowledge and skills, and in reducing the acceptance of nutrition misinformation related to harmful disordered eating and weight control attitudes. Methods: A quasi-experimental design study and pre/post-intervention assessments were used to measure the effectiveness of a 3-session self-efficacy and dissonance- based intervention program in improving the nutrition related knowledge and skills, and in reducing the acceptance of nutrition misconceptions related to harmful weight control behaviors and attitudes of 8th grade physical education (PE) students (n=4) voluntarily participating in the fitness unit. Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to assess for significant changes in nutrition-related knowledge/skills and the acceptance of nutrition related misconceptions. Results: The intervention did not yield statistically significant improvements innutrition- related knowledge/skills or significant reductions in the acceptance of nutrition misconceptions related to harmful disordered eating and weight control attitudes. Conclusion: The discrepancies between the findings of the current study and prior studies regarding of the effectiveness of the intervention’s theoretical framework in eliciting improvements in nutrition knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to disordered eating, may suggest that the current study’s exposure times were insufficient, and the sample size was too small to determine statistical significance.