Pre- and post-education evaluation of nutritional habits in a primary school students

This research was carried out to evaluate the effect of nutrition education given to Sidre Primary School students in Isparta city center on their nutritional habits. The population of the research consists of 266 people in Isparta Sidre Primary School. Demographic information, meal consumption status, food consumption frequency form, and nutrition habits inquiry form were prepared by scanning the literature and used as data collection tools. When examining the gender distribution of the students, it is determined that 47% are girls and 53% are boys. It is necessary to raise awareness among family members and school personnel about the habit of having a regular breakfast and not skipping meals, which play a role in children's cognitive development. When examining the participants' main meal consumption status, those consuming three main meals increased to 83.1% after the nutrition education. The habit of having a regular breakfast increased to 78.6% after the nutrition education. While egg consumption during breakfast was 78.2% before education, it rose to 86.5% after education. Adolescence plays a crucial role in maintaining acquired eating habits. After the nutrition education, the frequency of daily cheese consumption increased to 72.2%, red meat consumption 1-2 times a week increased to 48.9%, fish consumption 1-2 times a week remained at 48.9%, chicken consumption 1-2 times a week increased to 52.3%, daily egg consumption increased to 52.6%, and legume consumption 1-2 times a week increased to 56.4%. The consumption of fresh fruits daily increased to 66.5%, and the consumption of vegetable dishes daily increased to 28.2%. During adolescence, it is essential to educate students about nutrition either through nutrition education sessions or by adding healthy eating-related lessons to the curriculum to raise awareness among students about adequate and balanced nutrition.