ABSTRACT
Objective@#To assess diet-related knowledge and behavior among primary and middle-school students in five cities of Anhui, and to provide evidence for nutrition education and intervention strategies.@*Methods@#A multi stage stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select 2 045 students in five cities(Huaibei,Bengbu,Ma anshan,Hefei and Wuhu) of Anhui for a questionnaire survey on nutrition knowledge, diet behavior, food preferences, and diet education.@*Results@#The overall rate of good nutritional awareness was 38.3%; students had the highest rate of awareness on plain water being the healthiest drink(91.6%). The overall rate of healthy food preferences was 51.5%, with milk and dairy products being the highest rated (66.4%). The overall rate of good diet behavior was 85.8%, with eating most meals on time and in appropriate quantities being the highest rated (87.7%). The overall rate of students with good diet education was 25.0%, while the rate of table cleaning was 73.0%. Middle school students had more knowledge of nutrition(χ 2=28.8), while primary school students had better healthy food preferences and diet behaviors(χ 2=31.3，77.6), and girls were more frequently involved in setting and clearing the table(χ 2=12.2)(P<0.05).@*Conclusion@#Insufficient nutrition knowledge, clear food preferences, unhealthy dietary behaviors, and a lack of diet education were observed in primary and middle school students in Anhui. Specific nutritional education in school settings should be developed, home school cooperation should be strengthened, and diet education activities should be increased to help primary and middle school students form a healthy lifestyle.