The effects of a school-based nutrition education intervention on self-efficacy for healthy eating, usual food choices, dietary knowledge, and fruit, vegetable, and fat consumption in adolescents

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a nutrition education intervention on self-efficacy for healthy eating in adolescents. Using social cognitive theory as a conceptual framework, the nutrition education intervention was compared to a traditional curriculum using a quasi-experimental design in two junior high schools.; Eleven hypotheses were tested. The effects of the nutrition intervention on the following: (H1) self-efficacy for fruit and vegetable consumption, was accepted (p < .01). (H2) self-efficacy for consumption of lower fat, saturated fat, and lower sodium, was accepted (p < .001). (H3) usual food choices for lower fat, saturated fat, and lower sodium choices, was accepted (p < .001). (H4) dietary knowledge for lower fat, saturated fat, and lower sodium choices was accepted (p < .03). (H5) dietary knowledge for fruits and vegetables, was accepted (p < .005). (H6) fruit, vegetable, and fat consumption, was not accepted (p < .30 for fruits. p < .20 for vegetables, and, p < .10 for fats. The association was tested between the following (H7) dietary knowledge of lower fat, saturated fat and lower sodium foods and self-efficacy for lower fat, saturated fat, and lower sodium foods, was accepted (p < .001). (H8) dietary knowledge of fruits and vegetables and fruit and vegetable self-efficacy was not accepted ( p < .08). (H9) self-efficacy for fruit and vegetable consumption and fruit consumption was not accepted for fruit (p < .08), or vegetable consumption (p < .10). (H10) self-efficacy for lower fat, saturated fat, and lower sodium foods and consumption of lower fat and sodium foods was accepted for fat (p < .004) and salt (p < .02). (H11) usual food choice for lower fat, saturated fat, and lower sodium foods and self-efficacy for lower fat, saturated fat, and lower sodium foods, was accepted (p < .0001).; The nutrition education intervention resulted in increased self-efficacy for healthy eating among subjects in the intervention group. The proposed theoretical model contributes to a better understanding of the variables influencing the dietary patterns among adolescents and thus may be used in planning dietary interventions for disease prevention among youths.