Healthy nutrition is indispensable for the advancement and maintenance of an individual's health during the whole life cycle. A huge percentage of young and developing children in South Africa are subjected to undernourishment and malnourishment. Malnourishment and undernourishment can signify permanent negative consequences for the physical, intellectual and psycho-social development of the child. The aim of the research was to: • ascertain to which extent provision is made for nutrition education in the various learning areas of the National Curriculum Statement for learners in the Foundation Phase; • ascertain to which extent Foundation Phase teachers in rural schools are on the Curriculum guidelines for nutrition; • ascertain how knowledgeable Foundation Phase teachers in rural schools are on the basic aspects of nutrition; • to ascertain to which extent these teachers address aspects of nutrition education in the various Learning Areas; • to investigate the teaching strategies used by teachers when teaching aspects related to nutrition; • to ascertain whether these teachers have the necessary knowledge and skills to develop a nutrition teaching programme for Ground Phase learners in rural schools; and • to develop a nutrition teaching programme for Ground Phase learners in rural schools. Qualitative research methods were used in the empirical research. Data was collected by means of structured interviews and classroom observations at four farm schools which were identified by the Department of Education (North-West Province) to take part in the research project on nutrition in rural areas. The following findings emerged from the research: • The National Curriculum Statement provides for nutrition outcomes in the Learning Area Life Orientation, but the assessment standards are too vague and general. • All educators knew that nutrition education would form a part of the Learning Area Life Orientation. • Although teachers are trained on how to implement the National Curriculum Statement, some of them were uncertain on what was expected from them when teaching a nutrition lesson. • The basic nutritional knowledge of the teachers was good and they knew that nutrition can be taught in all three Learning Areas of the Foundation Phase. • Teachers in the four farm schools did not use different teaching strategies in presenting their lessons. • The educators in the four farm schools did not have the necessary knowledge and skills to develop a nutrition teaching programme for rural learners in the Foundation Phase. On the basis of the findings of the research the researcher has developed a nutrition education programme for educators in rural schools with a view to be able to offer more effective nutrition education for Foundation Phase learners. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Healthy nutrition is indispensable for the advancement and maintenance of an individual's health during the whole life cycle. A huge percentage of young and developing children in South Africa are subjected to undernourishment and malnourishment. Malnourishment and undernourishment can signify permanent negative consequences for the physical, intellectual and psycho-social development of the child. The aim of the research was to: • ascertain to which extent provision is made for nutrition education in the various learning areas of the National Curriculum Statement for learners in the Foundation Phase; • ascertain to which extent Foundation Phase teachers in rural schools are on the Curriculum guidelines for nutrition; • ascertain how knowledgeable Foundation Phase teachers in rural schools are on the basic aspects of nutrition; • to ascertain to which extent these teachers address aspects of nutrition education in the various Learning Areas; • to investigate the teaching strategies used by teachers when teaching aspects related to nutrition; • to ascertain whether these teachers have the necessary knowledge and skills to develop a nutrition teaching programme for Ground Phase learners in rural schools; and • to develop a nutrition teaching programme for Ground Phase learners in rural schools. Qualitative research methods were used in the empirical research. Data was collected by means of structured interviews and classroom observations at four farm schools which were identified by the Department of Education (North-West Province) to take part in the research project on nutrition in rural areas. The following findings emerged from the research: • The National Curriculum Statement provides for nutrition outcomes in the Learning Area Life Orientation, but the assessment standards are too vague and general. • All educators knew that nutrition education would form a part of the Learning Area Life Orientation. • Although teachers are trained on how to implement the National Curriculum Statement, some of them were uncertain on what was expected from them when teaching a nutrition lesson. • The basic nutritional knowledge of the teachers was good and they knew that nutrition can be taught in all three Learning Areas of the Foundation Phase. • Teachers in the four farm schools did not use different teaching strategies in presenting their lessons. • The educators in the four farm schools did not have the necessary knowledge and skills to develop a nutrition teaching programme for rural learners in the Foundation Phase. On the basis of the findings of the research the researcher has developed a nutrition education programme for educators in rural schools with a view to be able to offer more effective nutrition education for Foundation Phase learners. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

<p> A goal of schools is to provide students with practical nutritional information that will foster healthy lifelong behaviors. Unfortunately, students at one school were found to have difficulty grasping basic nutritional information and practical health-related skills. There remains an important gap in current literature regarding strategies to improve students' understanding of nutrition education material. The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefits of a 4-week nutrition intervention unit in the Foods I classes consisting of 82 male and female students in Grades 9-12. Constructivist teaching methods were implemented to provide students with both information and valuable skills, which might positively impact student health and student learning. A pre-experimental quantitative design was used for this study. The repeated-measures <i> t</i> test was used to compute differences in pre- and post-tests scores on the nutrition test, which indicated a 6.207 mean increase in student posttest scores. The 82 students also completed a Likert style survey, which indicated both a positive student result in perceiving a better understanding of nutrition knowledge, and a positive change in dietary choices due to constructivist teaching strategies used in the intervention. These results revealed the benefits of the nutrition intervention unit by the significant increase in students' nutrition knowledge and students' implementation of that knowledge in daily living. The results make an important contribution to the existing literature and can enhance social change initiatives through increasing students' knowledge of nutrition, providing them with life-based skills, and enhancing their quality of life.</p>

O estudo refere-se a uma pesquisa que teve por objetivo discutir a implementação de atividades de Educação Nutricional em Serviços Públicos de Saúde, através da visão dos profissionais que tradicionalmente atuam nesses serviços: médicos e enfermeiros. Utilizou-se o método da pesquisa-ação descrito por Thiollent, o qual pressupõe uma intervenção do pesquisador na realidade e a proposta de aumentar o conhecimento e a consciência dos sujeitos pesquisados a respeito da problemática estudada. Os resultados descrevem: a construção do saber sobre Nutrição através das Instituições formadoras, Instituições profissionais e vivência profissional; a conduta adotada face aos problemas relativos à alimentação no cotidiano profissional em contraposição ao enfrentamento dos mesmos no cotidiano pessoal; a percepção dos profissionais acerca das atividades de Educação Nutricional, segundo a conceituação de educação/orientação, tipificação de papéis profissionais e processo de institucionalização; a visão dos profissionais relativa à Educação Nutricional frente a situações contraditórias: problema clínico versus problema alimentar, nutrição versus renda e problemas de saúde emergentes no Brasil: doenças crônico-degenerativas. Nas considerações finais são apresentadas propostas norteadoras de ações futuras visando a institucionalização da prestação deste serviço e o desenvolvimento da Educação Nutricional no âmbito do ensino e da pesquisa. / This work concerns a study that had as its objective the discussion of the implementation of Nutritional Education activities in Public Health Services by means of the point of view of the professionals who take part in these services: doctors and nurses. The action-research method described by Thiollent was used. This method presupposes an intervention of the researcher in reality and proposes increasing the understanding and awareness of the problem studied on the part of the subjects involved in the study. The results describe: the construction of knowledge about Nutrition by means of educational and professional institutions and professional life; the behaviour adopted in the face of problems relating to food practices in daily professional living in contrast to facing the same problems in daily pcrsonal living; the perception of professionals about activities of Nutritional Education according to education/orientation conceptualisation, typography of professional roles and the process of institutionalisation; the view of the professional regarding Nutritional Education when confronting contradictory situations like clinical problems versus alimentary problems, nutrition versus income and emerging health problems in Brazil such as chronic-degenerative illnesses. The final considerations present orientating proposals for futurc action seeking the institutionalisation of offering this service and the development of Nutritional Education in the sphere of teaching and research.

O estudo refere-se a uma pesquisa que teve por objetivo discutir a implementação de atividades de Educação Nutricional em Serviços Públicos de Saúde, através da visão dos profissionais que tradicionalmente atuam nesses serviços: médicos e enfermeiros. Utilizou-se o método da pesquisa-ação descrito por Thiollent, o qual pressupõe uma intervenção do pesquisador na realidade e a proposta de aumentar o conhecimento e a consciência dos sujeitos pesquisados a respeito da problemática estudada. Os resultados descrevem: a construção do saber sobre Nutrição através das Instituições formadoras, Instituições profissionais e vivência profissional; a conduta adotada face aos problemas relativos à alimentação no cotidiano profissional em contraposição ao enfrentamento dos mesmos no cotidiano pessoal; a percepção dos profissionais acerca das atividades de Educação Nutricional, segundo a conceituação de educação/orientação, tipificação de papéis profissionais e processo de institucionalização; a visão dos profissionais relativa à Educação Nutricional frente a situações contraditórias: problema clínico versus problema alimentar, nutrição versus renda e problemas de saúde emergentes no Brasil: doenças crônico-degenerativas. Nas considerações finais são apresentadas propostas norteadoras de ações futuras visando a institucionalização da prestação deste serviço e o desenvolvimento da Educação Nutricional no âmbito do ensino e da pesquisa. / This work concerns a study that had as its objective the discussion of the implementation of Nutritional Education activities in Public Health Services by means of the point of view of the professionals who take part in these services: doctors and nurses. The action-research method described by Thiollent was used. This method presupposes an intervention of the researcher in reality and proposes increasing the understanding and awareness of the problem studied on the part of the subjects involved in the study. The results describe: the construction of knowledge about Nutrition by means of educational and professional institutions and professional life; the behaviour adopted in the face of problems relating to food practices in daily professional living in contrast to facing the same problems in daily pcrsonal living; the perception of professionals about activities of Nutritional Education according to education/orientation conceptualisation, typography of professional roles and the process of institutionalisation; the view of the professional regarding Nutritional Education when confronting contradictory situations like clinical problems versus alimentary problems, nutrition versus income and emerging health problems in Brazil such as chronic-degenerative illnesses. The final considerations present orientating proposals for futurc action seeking the institutionalisation of offering this service and the development of Nutritional Education in the sphere of teaching and research.

This study aimed to increase vegetable consumption and preference in elementary school-aged children using two interventions: 1) flavor-flavor conditioning; and 2) sensory-based, vegetable-themed education. In both interventions, increase in consumption was measured by visual observation of how many vegetables children took and consumed from a vegetable buffet. Preferences were measured with a self-administered survey. In the flavor-flavor intervention, children ages 5 to 11 (n=59) were exposed to sweetened and nonsweetened vegetable purees. Preferences were assessed prior to intervention using a rating and ranking system. Nine paired tastings were presented. Children received a posttest immediately after the final conditioning (n=27) and again 2 to 3 weeks after the final conditioning (n=24). A repeated measures ANOVA was used to examine the effect of conditioning (sweetened vegetable purees) on flavor preference. The change in attitudes and behaviors related to vegetables was evaluated using independent samples t-tests. Pre- and post-flavor conditioning change in whole vegetable consumption was assessed using paired t-tests. Flavor-flavor conditioning is not an effective strategy to increase whole vegetable consumption or preference for vegetables in elementary school-aged children. The vegetable-themed curriculum focused on four vegetables (carrots, peas, cauliflower, broccoli) and included three 30-minute lessons on each vegetable. Lessons included information on how the vegetable tastes, where it grows, and what it looks, feels, sounds, and smells like. Lessons were taught once per week for 3 weeks each month over four months. Children ages 5-11 enrolled in an after-school program at one elementary school were invited to participate (n=27). The amount of vegetables consumed by participants during a vegetable buffet was observed pre- and post-intervention (n = 20, 12 respectively). Differences in these amounts were assessed using independent samples t-tests. The education intervention was associated with increased consumption of carrots (p-value =0.001) and peas (p-value=0.003) but not cauliflower or broccoli. There was no change in vegetable-related attitudes/behaviors post-intervention. The results support the use of sensory-based, vegetable-themed education to increase vegetable consumption among children. Future studies should involve a larger sample size and should consider in-school rather than after-school education.

Lifestyle changes from traditional diet and activities to modem diets high in fat and sugar, and sedentary habits have increased inherited health risk for diabetes and obesity among Native American youth. Nutrition education and physical activity programs have been recommended to help reduce health-risk factors. This study evaluated a summer nutrition education and fitness program for effectiveness in improving the dietary habits, nutrition knowledge, fitness level, and health status of American Indian children ages 9-14 living on or near the Uintah-Ouray Reservation in Uintah and Duchesne Counties of Eastern Utah.

A substantial number of community members access food in community-based organizations in the Winnipeg's North End. However, many staff and volunteers in these organizations do not have adequate nutrition knowledge and food skills, nor are there healthy food policies to guide food programs. Food Matters Manitoba developed a food and nutrition education program, Community Tables. The purpose of this study was to evaluate Community Tables for its effectiveness in increasing staff/volunteer basic nutrition knowledge and food skills, and facilitating the adoption of healthy food policies by participating organizations. Data collection included questionnaires to determine knowledge acquisition and participant satisfaction, and in-depth follow-up interviews to determine each participant’s experience with developing/implementing a healthy food policy. Results suggest that the program was moderately successful in increasing participant food and nutrition knowledge; and while three organizations were able to implement policies to some degree, others faced challenges, which prevented full implementation. / October 2015

<p> The purpose of this project was to create a 6-week nutrition education and culinary skill curriculum for use by educators of middle-school adolescents in conjunction with use of an existing school-based educational garden and kitchen facility. Specifically, this project provides guidelines for delivering education regarding an overall healthy lifestyle during the adolescent years, optimal nutrition, food safety, meal plans, and kitchen skills, two times per season for each of the major seasons (fall, winter, spring) coinciding with the typical Pacific Northwest school calendar.</p><p> The curriculum was designed to provide educators with age appropriate lessons based on scientifically-founded information. The curriculum was reviewed by an expert panel and modifications were made based on their recommendations. The final curriculum was not pilot tested.</p>

<p> The latest U.S. government surveys indicate that one in six Americans suffer from food insecurity, which means they have trouble affording adequate food. Previous research has shown that food insecurity affects adult cognitive ability, energy levels, ability to concentrate as well as child academic success. Food insecurity has been studied in college students at 4-year institutions; however, research on the community college population is sparse. This study aimed to better understand the extent and implications of food insecurity among community college students attending two community colleges in Maryland. </p><p> The research was carried out using a survey that collected data related to student food insecurity, demographics, along with self-reported Grade Point Average (GPA), energy, and concentration levels in 301 community college students. Approximately half of the students attended a suburban community college (n=151) and half of the students attended an urban community college (n=150). Data from each school were compared to examine issues affecting students attending each institution. </p><p> The study revealed that over half of the community college student respondents were food insecure and that food insecurity was slightly less prevalent among respondents at the suburban community than those from the urban community college. African American students and multiracial students were more likely to experience food insecurity than White students. Students who lived alone, with roommates or with spouses/partners were more likely to experience food insecurity than students who lived with parents or relatives. Single parents were also more likely to be food insecure than students who were not single parents. </p><p> Food insecurity was significantly associated with student GPA, energy, and concentration in the overall student sample. Food insecure students were more likely to fall into a lower GPA category than they were to fall into the highest GPA category. Food insecure students were also more likely to report lower energy and concentration levels and the degree of food insecurity appeared to affect the probability of low energy or difficulty concentrating. When considering each community college separately, food insecurity was significantly associated with GPA at the suburban community college but not at the urban community college. Also, food insecurity had a stronger association with energy and concentration at the urban community college than at the suburban community college.</p>