Nutrition Education Intervention to Improve Nutrition-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors for Hispanic...

This study was performed to assess the effect of a nutrition education intervention on the nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of Hispanic children, ages 6-10 years, in a local after-school program. The intervention included seven weekly lessons that lasted an average of 30 minutes each. Pre- and post-tests were used to evaluate the program. There was a statistically significant difference, p < .04, observed for the intervention group (n = 7) between the pre- and posttest scores for knowledge. In addition, the posttest scores for the intervention group were significantly higher, p < .04, than for the control group (n = 3). Changes in nutrition-related attitudes and behavior were not significant. The only measure that showed significant improvement was knowledge about the differences between healthy and unhealthy food choices after the intervention, which is crucial in the development of healthy behaviors.