Evaluation of the nutrition component of an integrated health curriculum for grade four students.

Abstract

During the winter of 1994/95, a series of 'Healthy Eating' nutrition lessons were piloted in a grade four class in the Ottawa area. The objective of the current research study was to measure the impact of the program and identify the processes involved in the curriculum implementation. The Comprehensive School Health model and the PRECEDE-PROCEED framework were used to direct the study, which involved both quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative component of the study followed a quasi-experimental design. The health-related knowledge and attitudes of students who received the curriculum, were measured on three occasions: prior to curriculum implementation, immediately after, and two months post-instruction. The test scores were compared with the test scores from a cohort of students from a comparable classroom, which received no health instruction. A 2 x 2 x 3 mixed multivariate analysis of variance was performed on knowledge and attitude. The between variables were gender and intervention. The occasion of testing was a within subject factor. A preliminary MANCOVA was performed to consider age as a covariate, however age was not found to be a significant factor. The qualitative component of the study incorporated classroom observation, interviews with seven randomly selected students, a parent questionnaire and a teacher questionnaire. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)