The Effect of Nutrition Education in the Form of Cafeteria Posters on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Plate Waste of Sixth Graders

The purpose of this research was to determine whether there was a difference in nutrition knowledge scores, nutrition attitude scores, and plate waste of 6th graders who received nutrition education in the form of cafeteria posters for a period of 19 days and 6th graders who received no nutrition education. In addition, the effects of gender, weight control action, and source of lunch on these scores were assessed.

Nutrition knowledge and attitudes regarding dietary fat were assessed in 6th grade students in 3 middle schools using pretest and posttest questionnaires. Nutrition education in 2 of the middle schools consisted of a poster with either a positive or negative message. Nutrient information on the fat and calorie contents of 4 cafeteria food items served was posted daily throughout the intervention period on the bottom portion of each poster. The third school received no nutrition education intervention.

Approximately 60-75% of students in each school were able to correctly identify the following: reducing fat intake as a safe means of weight loss or weight maintenance, skim milk as the lowest fat milk, and a meal consisting of baked chicken and 2% milk as the lowest fat meal given 4 choices. Sixty-five to 75% of the students in each school also were able to correctly answer half of the applied nutrition knowledge questions. Approximately 20-35% of students were able to correctly answer questions requiring respondents to identify low-fat and high-fat foods and the number of calories in one gram of fat. Twenty-five to 35% of students were able to correctly answer the remaining 2 applied nutrition knowledge questions.

In general, knowledge and attitudes scores were significantly lower in the students that received negative nutrition education intervention, higher in females, and higher in students who reported trying to lose weight. There was no difference in applied nutrition knowledge scores by gender, weight control action, or lunch source. Also, it appeared that nutrition knowledge and nutrition attitudes scores generally decreased following the intervention period but the change was rarely significant. Plate waste data indicated that the students who viewed the negative poster message decreased their plate waste of the lower-fat entree and increased their plate waste of the higher-fat vegetable more so than the other students.

Although it appeared that nutrition knowledge and attitudes did not change following nutrition education intervention, dietary behaviors may have been altered. Possible explanations for the absence of change in knowledge and attitudes that could be attributed to the nutrition intervention include an insufficient intervention time period and/or lack of student involvement in the learning process.