Evaluation of food and fun for everyone: A nutrition education program for third and fourth grade students

Abstract

The objective of the evaluation was to assess the efficacy of the Food and Fun for Everyone curriculum utilized by Community Nutrition Education Programs (CNEP) in bringing about self-reported positive dietary behavior changes. Data from this quantitative, quasi-experimental study came from 746 repeated measure surveys obtained from a purposive sample within CNEP units throughout Oklahoma. The pre- and post-surveys evaluated eight behaviors related to the lessons and employed a three point Likert scale to evaluate behavior change. Paired t tests were run to identify significant behavior changes from pre-test to post-test for third grade students and fourth grade students. A one-way ANOVA was conducted to determine significant differences in behavior change between third and fourth grade students. Interviews of Nutrition Education Assistants (NEAs), who presented the lessons series, were conducted to ascertain their fidelity to the curriculum protocol. Content analysis was performed to identify consistent breaches. Third grade students reported positive, significant behavior changes for six of the eight behaviors, and fourth grade students reported positive, significant changes in seven of the eight behaviors. The one-way ANOVA identified the only significantly different behavior between third and fourth grade students as "I eat green or orange vegetables every day," with third grade students reporting a greater mean change between the pre- and post-survey. Consequently, the Food and Fun for Everyone nutrition education program proved effective in leading to positive self-reported dietary behavior changes in Oklahoma third and fourth grade students participating in CNEP.