Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE)

The Effectiveness of a Nutrition Education Program in an Afterschool Setting for Elementary School-Aged Children

Pediatric obesity is a troubling problem related to low fruit, fiber, and vegetable intake, and high intake of fat, sodium, and calories. A child's home environment, including not eating family meals, and low levels of physical activity also contribute to pediatric obesity. Schools could be an ideal place to provide nutrition education to children. Unfortunately, there is not always time to add nutrition education to in-school curriculums to combat these factors. Therefore, afterschool programs may be a good option for providing nutrition education. Recent research shows that nutrition education with a hands-on component, such as gardening education, can improve children's diets and healthy eating behaviors. Studies found that after participating in afterschool nutrition education programs, children were more likely to try new foods, increase their vegetable, fiber, and whole grain intake, experience a decrease in Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference, and spend more time doing physical activity. This research aims to expand on the current research to determine the impact of a nutrition education program, taught in an afterschool setting, on children's nutrition knowledge and fruit and vegetable intake. This study was an eight week educational intervention that combined hands-on nutrition programming, physical activity, and healthy snacks. As a result of the intervention, participant's nutrition knowledge and fruit and vegetable intake increased. Participants also gave the intervention a high satisfaction score, indicating that other children may enjoy this type of programming.