Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Nutrition Education Program for High School Students

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of nutrition education interventions on the knowledge level and behaviors of high school students. Design: Series of nutrition education interventions with pre and post-intervention assessments. Setting: Oneida County, New York Participants: Twenty high school students (ages 14-18) at Sauquoit Valley High School in Foods & Nutrition class. Intervention: Four, thirty-minute, nutrition focused education sessions delivered in person by a Registered Dietitian. Outcome: Nutrition-related knowledge and behavior changes. Analysis: Results of the pre and post-intervention surveys were analyzed using multiple Mann Whitney U tests to determine the significance in the change of nutrition knowledge and behaviors. Results: A majority of the students displayed an increase in knowledge levels after the intervention was implemented. Conclusion: Although beneficial changes were seen from the pre to post test, statistical significance cannot be verified for this study.