Objective: We examined the feasibility and learning outcomes of incorporating a nutrition education program into sixth-grade health education to ensure that children follow a healthy lifestyle.
Methods: Forty sixth graders of an elementary school in Osaka, Japan, participated in this program. We incorporated a nutrition education program into a health education class on disease prevention, through team teaching based on collaboration between a class teacher and a nutrition education teacher. This program aimed to help children understand the necessity of developing a healthy lifestyle. Moreover, the program focused on identifying unhealthy behaviors and setting behavioral goals to form a healthy lifestyle. After the program, self-monitoring was conducted for five days to evaluate the achievement of the behavioral goals. We evaluated the improvement in lifestyle behaviors due to goal setting and the status of goal accomplishment immediately after the class and one month later. The program was also evaluated using the teacher's report.
Results: After the class, 38.9% of children set several goals, and 55.5% of the children accomplished the goals 5 days in the given period (5 days). One month later, the proportion of children who set several goals decreased to 16.7%, and 63.9% of the children accomplished their goals 5 days in the given period (5 days). The teacher reported that the children actively participated in the class, which could complement health education.
Conclusions: These results suggest that this program is feasible and could form a healthy lifestyle.
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