Dietary Knowledge, Behaviours and Attitudes of Students of Public School in a Northeastern City in Brazil

Abstract

This quasi-experimental intervention was conducted with 10- to 14-year-old students enrolled in public schools in Teresina, Brazil, to evaluate the effects of a nutritional education program on the students’ knowledge, behaviour and attitudes towards nutrition. The dietary attitudes were evaluated in terms of food tastes/preferences and food behaviours. The participants in the study included 126 students from four schools. Differences between before and after the intervention were found regarding knowledge about the “food pyramid”, “healthy eating” and “nutrients” (p < 0.05). There was reduction from 35% to 18.2% (p = 0.029) in the preference for unhealthy foods, such as greasy meats and processed foods. The students reported changes in their dietary behaviour in response to the intervention (p < 0.05). The educational model used in this study was shown to be effective for modifying the food and nutritional knowledge levels of the students and the associated dietary attitudes and practices.