Identifying the Subjects of Nutrition Education for Junior and Senior High School Students

ABSTRACT

The purposes of this study were to survey the present situation of nutrition education in junior/senior high school, to analyze the difference between the favorite subjects on students and the existing subject done by dietitians on nutrition education, and then to identify the subjects of nutritional education for junior/senior high school students. Self-administered questionnaires were given to dietitians and students and 142 of the 200 dietitians (71.0%) and 479 of the 564 students (84.9%) responded to the questionnaire on the nutritional education. According to the survey results, 76.1% of school dietitians currently were doing nutrition education for students while the other 23.9% didn't have such education programs even though they recognized the necessity strongly. The target of nutrition education was student rather than parents or teacher generally and the principal measuring method for nutrition education effect was 'change of plate waste and leftover'. It was found that significant difference in the collector and source of nutritional education information between junior and senior high school dietitians (p < .05). About ninety-eight percentage of dietitians felt that nutrition education should keep pace with meal service and this meant that almost respondent recognized the necessity of nutrition education for students. Because the most serious one among operational problems of nutrition education program was lack of enough time owing to too many affairs as dietitian, junior and senior high schools should support so that dietitians would share enough time for nutrition education. And also, a gap was existed between actual and favorite subjects on nutrition education. Significant differences existed in the following subjects; 'basic concept of food and nutrition', 'disease and nutrition', 'food culture in the world', 'cooking and culinary art', 'food of the 24 divisions of the year in the lunar calendar', 'food waste and environmental issue', 'food habit and food behavior', 'exercise and nutrition' (p < .001), 'table manner', 'food and individual sanitation', 'recommended dietary allowance' (p < .01) and 'menu planning' (p < .05). Finally, 24 subjects of nutritional education were selected based on the survey results. These subjects would be expected to be able to contribute the effective and interesting nutrition education program for junior and senior high school students.