Significant effects of implementation of health-promoting schools on schoolteachers' nutrition knowledge and dietary intake in Taiwan

Assessment of nutrition knowledge and associated factors among secondary school students in Haramaya district, Oromia region, eastern Ethiopia: implications for health education

Background

Nutrition knowledge stands as a cornerstone in facilitating informed dietary choices, thereby profoundly impacting overall health and lifestyle outcomes. Malnutrition often correlates with deficient nutritional knowledge, highlighting the critical need for comprehensive understanding in this domain. While Ethiopia has seen considerable research on nutritional status and associated factors, there remains a paucity of studies specifically addressing nutrition knowledge among secondary school students, particularly within the Haramaya District. Therefore, this study aimed to meticulously assess nutrition knowledge and its determinants among secondary school students in Eastern Ethiopia.

Methods

Employing an institutional-based cross-sectional design, we carefully selected 417 students from secondary schools in Haramaya District, Eastern Ethiopia, through simple random sampling. Data Research Topic entailed structured interviews, with subsequent entry into Epi Data version 3.1 for meticulous analysis utilizing SPSS version 21 software. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics, while both bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to elucidate factors associated with nutritional knowledge, setting statistical significance at p-value <0.05.

Results

All 417 selected students participated in the study, yielding a commendable response rate of 100%. The median nutritional knowledge score among students stood at 58, with an interquartile range spanning from 44 to 66. Approximately 46.76% (95% CI: 42-51.59) of students exhibited good nutritional knowledge. Significant determinants of nutrition knowledge included sex [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.03-3.04], being senior secondary students (AOR = 3.3, 95% CI: 1.95-5.73), and access to nutrition information (AOR = 3.3, 95% CI: 1.60-6.87).

Conclusion

Our findings illuminate a notable level of nutritional knowledge among secondary school students in Haramaya District. However, discernible disparities in nutrition knowledge emerged based on gender, educational level, and access to nutrition information. These insights underscore the exigency of targeted interventions aimed at enhancing nutrition literacy among students, thereby fostering holistic health promotion endeavors.

Addressing schoolteacher food and nutrition-related health and wellbeing: a scoping review of the food and nutrition constructs used across current research

BACKGROUND

Teachers form a large and essential workforce globally. Their wellbeing impacts personal health-related outcomes with flow on effects for the health, and wellbeing of their students. However, food and nutrition (FN) interventions that include teachers, typically neglect the impact of personal FN factors on a teachers' ability to achieve optimal nutrition-related health and wellbeing, and successfully fulfil their professional FN roles as health promoters, gate keepers, educators', and role models. The aim of this review was to scope FN constructs that have been studied internationally regarding teacher FN-related health and wellbeing.

METHODS

Six databases were searched, and papers extracted in June/July 2021. Eligibility criteria guided by the population, concept, context mnemonic included studies published after 2000, in English language, with an aspect of personal FN-related health and wellbeing, among in-service (practising) and pre-service (training), primary, and secondary teachers. Screening studies for inclusion was completed by two independent researchers with data extraction piloted with the same reviewers and completed by lead author, along with complete descriptive and thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Ten thousand six hundred seventy-seven unique articles were identified with 368 eligible for full text review and 105 included in final extraction and analysis. Sixty-nine descriptive studies were included, followed by 35 intervention studies, with the main data collection method used to assess both personal and professional FN constructs being questionnaires (n = 99 papers), with nutrition knowledge and dietary assessment among the most commonly assessed.

CONCLUSION

FN constructs are used within interventions and studies that include teachers, with diversity in constructs included and how these terms are defined. The evidence from this scoping review can be used to inform data collection and evaluation in future epidemiological and interventional research that addresses teacher FN-related health and wellbeing.

Systematic review of the effectiveness of health promotion interventions targeting obesity prevention in school-based staff

School-based employee interventions can benefit the health of staff and have the potential to influence the health of school students through role-modelling. However, interventions within schools typically focus on students, with very few studies addressing obesity and related health behaviours among school staff. A systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature published between January 2000 and May 2020 was undertaken to synthesize the evidence on the impact that school-based obesity prevention programmes have on the staff they employ. Search terms were derived from four major topics: (i) school; (ii) staff; (iii) health promotion and (iv) obesity. Terms were adapted for six databases and three independent researchers screened results. Studies were included if they reported on the outcomes of body weight, dietary behaviours and/or physical activity. Of 3483 papers identified in the search, 13 studies met the inclusion criteria. All 13 studies included an intervention that focussed on improving nutrition, physical activity or both. All included studies demonstrated a positive outcome for either dietary intake, weight or body mass index or physical activity outcomes, however not all results were statistically significant. The included studies showed promising, although limited, impacts on employee health outcomes. This review demonstrated a lack of global focus and investment in interventions targeting school staff, particularly in contrast to the large amount of research on school-based health promotion initiatives focussed on students. There is a need for further research to understand effective interventions to promote health and prevent obesity in this large, diverse and influential workforce.

Parents' and teachers' views of the promotion of healthy eating in Australian primary schools

BACKGROUND

Primary schools have long been identified as appropriate settings for improving the healthy eating behaviours of children and helping them develop food skills. This qualitative study explored the views of Australian primary school parents and teachers about schools' strengths and weaknesses in promoting healthy eating and equipping children with food skills.

METHODS

Nineteen parents and 17 teachers from Victoria participated in semi-structured interviews. Audio recordings were transcribed and underwent thematic analysis using Nvivo.

RESULTS

This study demonstrated that parents and teachers believed that several facilitators helped promote children's healthy eating. These included food and nutrition education (FNE) programs, the community-based nature of schools, and teacher role modelling and the authority schools possess over children. Time scarcity, lack of teacher expertise, lack of leadership and funding were reported as barriers. School food environments such as canteens, lunch orders, fundraising events and school fairs were identified as both weaknesses and strengths by parents and teachers, which indicated inconsistent implementation of school nutrition policies across schools.

CONCLUSIONS

Australian primary schools demonstrate some useful efforts to promote healthy eating among children. However, there are numerous facilitators and barriers which impact on the promotion of healthy eating. These factors need to be addressed in order to develop healthy eating habits further among elementary students. These results provide directions for policymakers and school managers, as they point to the areas that need to be improved to assist the design of schools that better promote healthy eating among children.

Estimated 24-hour urinary sodium excretion and sodium-to-potassium ratio among Japanese elementary school teachers and school lunch cooks

Background:Dietary salt intake is largely responsible for increase in blood pressure that is commonly seen with aging. In our previous study carried out in 2015, we calculated the 24-hour urinary sodium excretion and sodium-to-potassium (Na/K) ratio among elementary school children. In the present study, we aimed to examine the same items among the school children's teachers and lunch cooks.Methods:Of 153 recruited participants, urine samples were collected from 129 subjects (84.3%), and 124 subjects (81.0%; 37 male teachers, 65 female teachers, and 22 female cooks) whose dietary habits were confirmed were included in the final study analysis.Results: The median estimated 24-hour urinary salt excretion (g/day) was 8.2 in male teachers, 7.4 in female teachers, and 8.9 in cooks. The median urinary Na/K ratio (mEq/mEq) was 4.1 in male teachers, 3.6 in female teachers, and 4.0 in cooks. In both male and female teachers and cooks, no association was found between urinary salt excretion or urinary Na/K ratio and an awareness of the need to restrict salt intake. The proportion of subjects with both a urinary salt excretion and Na/K ratio above the median was high in male teachers and cooks, whereas the proportion of subjects who scored below the median in both tests was high in female teachers.Conclusion:It should be considered that elementary school teachers and cooks who have been provided with the results of their own salt excretion could realize the importance of reducing salt consumption from early childhood and the continuous salt intake reduction education for children.

The Efficacy of Workplace Interventions on Improving the Dietary, Physical Activity and Sleep Behaviours of School and Childcare Staff: A Systematic Review

There is a need for effective interventions that improve the health and wellbeing of school and childcare staff. This review examined the efficacy of workplace interventions to improve the dietary, physical activity and/or sleep behaviours of school and childcare staff. A secondary aim of the review was to assess changes in staff physical/mental health, productivity, and students’ health behaviours. Nine databases were searched for controlled trials including randomised and non-randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental trials published in English up to October 2019. PRISMA guidelines informed screening and study selection procedures. Data were not suitable for quantitative pooling. Of 12,396 records screened, seven articles (based on six studies) were included. Most studies used multi-component interventions including educational resources, work-based wellness committees and planned group practice (e.g., walking groups). Multiple outcomes were assessed, findings were mixed and on average, there was moderate risk of bias. Between-group differences in dietary and physical activity behaviours (i.e., fruit/vegetable intake, leisure-time physical activity) favoured intervention groups, but were statistically non-significant for most outcomes. Some of the studies also showed differences favouring controls (i.e., nutrient intake, fatty food consumption). Additional robust studies testing the efficacy of workplace interventions to improve the health of educational staff are needed.

Schoolteachers' Nutrition Knowledge, Beliefs, and Attitudes Before and After an E-Learning Program

OBJECTIVE

Το explore teachers' nutrition knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes and to examine the effectiveness of an electronic learning (e-learning) program in teachers' nutrition knowledge.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional and experimental design.

SETTING

The study took place in Greece, while schoolteachers were invited by e-mail.

PARTICIPANTS

Teachers of primary and secondary education, with no exclusion criteria, were enrolled in the study between March, 2015 and 2016.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Schoolteachers' nutrition knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes.

INTERVENTION

Teachers completed a 36-item nutrition questionnaire and then a subgroup participated in an e-learning program. After the intervention, teachers completed the same questionnaire.

ANALYSIS

Principal component analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 1,094 teachers completed the questionnaire; 619 participated in the e-learning program. Teachers showed moderate nutrition knowledge scores (ie, 65% correct answers) before the intervention, whereas their attitudes regarding acting as role models and their belief in the importance of the role of nutrition were associated with 74% (odds ratio, 1.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.45) and 79% (odds ratio, 1.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-1.37) increased possibility of having good nutrition knowledge, respectively. The e-learning program was effective in strengthening teachers' nutrition knowledge (P < .001) and improving their beliefs and attitudes (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Future research is needed to validate the current results, which can be used to design and implement similar educational programs to teachers as a means of creating health-promoting schools.

A Contextual Nutrition Education Program Improves Nutrition Knowledge and Attitudes of South African Teachers and Learners

Background: Evaluating the impact of a nutrition education program could provide insight into the effectiveness of an intervention. Researchers tested the hypothesis that a theory-based contextual nutrition education program (NEP) would improve the nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and dietary practices (KAP) of teachers and learners. Methods: Twenty three teachers who taught nutrition in Grades 4-7 (treatment school, n = 12) and 681 learners (treatment school, n = 350) participated in the study. In this quasi-experimental study, two primary schools were randomly selected to implement a contextual NEP. The nutrition KAP were assessed using previously validated questionnaires. The treatment school teachers taught nutrition using a developed nutrition education manual, while the control school teachers taught nutrition in the usual manner. Random effects Generalized Least Squares regression estimated the difference in the teachers' and learners' KAP for the treatment and control schools; p = 0.025 for a one-tailed test. Results: At post-implementation, the treatment school teachers' had higher total nutrition knowledge mean score (85.5% ± 8.2, p = 0.003) compared to the control school. Within the treatment school, total nutrition knowledge mean score of the teachers improved by 14.1%, p ≤ 0.001. Learners in the treatment school had higher total nutrition knowledge (53.2% ± 16.9, p = 0.002) and nutrition attitude (63.9% ± 19.7, p = 0.001) scores compared to learners in the control school. Within the treatment school, learners' total nutrition knowledge and nutrition attitudes scores increased by 4.9%, p ≤ 0.001 and 6.9%, p ≤ 0.001, respectively. The dietary practices of the teachers and the learners, and the nutrition attitudes of the teachers in the treatment school showed no significant within school improvement or in comparison with the control school (p > 0.025). Conclusions: The NEP led to the improvement in the teachers' and the learners' nutrition knowledge and the learners' nutrition attitudes. However, no significant improvement in the dietary practices of either teachers or learners was found.

School Teachers' Awareness about National Obesity Prevention Programs in Turkey

Nutritional programs are one of the most important public health policies in order to prevent obesity. School teachers are role models for students and their nutrition knowledge about these policies can affect children's dietary habits. The aim of this observational descriptive study was to evaluate the school teachers' awareness about nutrition programs for the prevention of obesity of the Ministry of Education in Turkey. It was conducted to 87,070 classroom teachers working at state schools from all the cities of Turkey. Data collection was obtained with a plain web-based survey, and national nutrition programs (Nutrition-Friendly School Program, White-Flag Protocol, and circular letter on foods can be sold in school canteens) were questioned. Mean age of teachers was 38.3 ± 9.30 years and 50.4% of them were male. It was determined that only 66.2% of the teachers know whether their school is nutrition-friendly. Frequency of knowing "White-Flag" Protocol was 80.1%. Present study showed that educational programs about nutrition policies are required in order to increase knowledge among school teachers and thus, prevent childhood obesity.

Nutrition education in the Australian New South Wales primary school curriculum: An exploration of time allocation, translation and attitudes in a sample of teachers

ISSUE ADDRESSED

The dietary intakes of Australian children are not optimal, with few meeting recommended vegetable and fruit intake targets. Nutrition education in childhood is important for developing healthy eating patterns, with schools an ideal setting for a wide reach. The aims of this study were to examine nutrition education within the NSW primary school syllabus, explore how much time teachers spend teaching nutrition, what is taught, what materials are used, and to identify attitudes towards nutrition education.

METHOD

An online survey consisting of 29 closed questions (with options for comments) was specifically developed for the purpose of this study. Teachers currently teaching at a NSW primary school were eligible to participate.

RESULTS

A total of 33 NSW primary school teachers completed the survey. Results indicate that limited time is spent on teaching nutrition with some important nutrition education components currently missed, resources perceived to be inadequate and lack of time reported as the largest barrier to teaching nutrition.

CONCLUSION

In order to improve the quality of nutrition education in NSW primary schools, several important topics need to be integrated into the curriculum, and time constraints of teachers should be taken into account. SO WHAT?: Findings from the current survey will inform the development of future nutrition education programs and resources with the aim of integrating nutrition education within the primary school curriculum.

Professionals' Recommended Strategies to Improve Australian Adolescents' Knowledge of Nutrition and Food Systems

Background: Education and policy measures within schools are valuable strategies to promote health. This study explored views of experienced food-related educators, researchers and policy-makers regarding their recommended strategies to improve Australian adolescents’ knowledge of nutrition and food systems (N&FS). Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-one experienced food-related experts from across Australia. Interviews were conducted either by telephone or face-to-face. Recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Results: Five central themes and five sub-themes were identified from food professionals’ suggestions for best strategies to improve adolescents’ knowledge of N&FS. The central themes included: (1) specific improvements in schools’ core curricula; (2) pre-service and in-service training of school teachers about N&FS; (3) training students to develop a critical mind about N&FS issues; (4) multidisciplinary collaborations to improve school-based N&FS education; and (5) a supportive N&FS education environment for students. Conclusion and implication: These findings provide a guide for curriculum developers, educational policy developers, and food educators to incorporate the suggested N&FS strategies into Australian education programs in order to improve Australian adolescents’ knowledge and skills of N&FS issues. The results of this investigation also may assist the development of international N&FS curricula guides.

A holistic school-based nutrition program fails to improve teachers’ nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in rural China

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of a holistic school-based nutrition programme using the health-promoting school (HPS) approach, on teachers’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in relation to nutrition in rural China.

Design/methodology/approach

– A cluster-randomised intervention trial design was employed. Two middle schools were randomly selected and assigned to either the intervention school using the HPS framework (HPS School), or to the Control School, in Miyun County, Beijing. From each school 20 teachers were randomly selected to complete the survey. Nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviour were measured at pre- and post-intervention surveys with the same instrument. The nutrition intervention last for six months.

Findings

– The holistic school-based nutrition programme using the HPS framework had no statistical impact on improving teacher’s knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in relation to nutrition (p> 0.05).

Practical implications

– Future holistic school-based nutrition programmes targeting adolescents should also design and implement longer and more intensive interventions for teachers focusing on how to equip them with the awareness and ability to disseminate their knowledge, positive attitudes and role model behaviours to students, rather than on how to teach them basic knowledge and skills.

Originality/value

– Although teachers play a critical role in the HPS framework, there is very limited published research investigating the change in teachers’ nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviour as a result of a nutrition promotion programme.

Teachers’ self-perception of their dietary behavior and needs to teach healthy eating habits in the school

Through focus groups, we explored 22 third- to fifth-grade teachers’ perceptions about their eating habits, including barriers and facilitators to healthy eating. It also explored teachers’ thoughts about how to teach students healthy eating habits. The information was transcribed and treated using the content analysis technique. Results were evaluated using the concept of majority and minority group and presented in a sequential way: teachers’ perceptions about eating habits, barriers to healthy eating, teacher’s culinary habits, abilities to teach students healthy eating habits through Information and Communication Technologies, and cooking activities. Teachers’ eating habits were poor, with lack of time, money, and will to improve. They had culinary habits skills and the desire to instruct and guide their students in eating healthier food. They need a program with Information and Communication Technologies and cooking workshops to apply in the classroom.

Perceived barriers to weight maintenance among university students in Kuwait: the role of gender and obesity

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the barriers to weight maintenance among university students in Kuwait by gender and obesity.

METHODS

A sample of 530 students was selected at convenience from four universities in Kuwait (2 public and 2 private). The age of students ranged from 19 to 26 years. A self-reported pretested questionnaire was used to obtain the barriers, which were divided into barriers to healthy eating and barriers to physical activity. Weight and height were based on self-reporting, and the students were grouped into non-obese and obese according to the WHO classification. The response options to barriers were: very important, somewhat important and not important.

RESULTS

The main barriers to healthy eating for both genders were: "Do not have skills to plan, shop for, prepare or cook healthy foods" and "Not having time to prepare or eat healthy food". In general, there were no significant differences between men and women in barriers to healthy eating. There were highly significant differences between men and women regarding barriers to physical activity (P values ranged from <0.001 to <0.016). "Not having time to be physically active" and "The climate is not suitable for practising exercise" were the main barriers reported. Obese men were more likely to face barriers to healthy eating than non-obese men. There were no significant differences between obese and non-obese women regarding barriers to healthy eating and physical activity.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study can be utilized in intervention activities to promote a healthy lifestyle and to combat obesity in Kuwait, and maybe in other Arab countries.

The association between organic school food policy and school food environment: results from an observational study in Danish schools

AIMS

School food in many countries has become the object of change and innovation processes, not only in relation to policies for healthier eating but also in relation to policies for more sustainable food consumption and procurement. The purpose of this study was to examine the possible influence that organic food sourcing policies in Danish school meal systems may have on the development of healthier school food environments.

METHODS

The study was a cross-sectional analysis undertaken among 179 school food coordinators (SFCs) through a web-based questionnaire (WBQ) in a sample of Danish public primary schools. The 'organic' schools were compared to 'non-organic' schools. The questionnaire explored the attitudes, intentions/policies and actions in relation to organic and healthy foods served in the schools.

RESULTS

Data indicates that 20 'organic' schools were associated with the indicators of healthier school environments, including adopting a Food and Nutrition Policy (FNP) in the school (p = .032), recommending children to eat healthily (p = .004).

CONCLUSIONS

The study suggests that organic food policies in schools may have potential to support a healthier school food environment.

Perceived barriers to healthy eating and physical activity among adolescents in seven Arab countries: a cross-cultural study

Objective. To highlight the perceived personal, social, and environmental barriers to healthy eating and physical activity among Arab adolescents. Method. A multistage stratified sampling method was used to select 4698 students aged 15–18 years (2240 males and 2458 females) from public schools. Seven Arab counties were included in the study, namely, Algeria, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Palestine, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates. Self-reported questionnaire was used to list the barriers to healthy eating and physical activity facing these adolescents. Results. It was found that lack of information on healthy eating, lack of motivation to eat a healthy diet, and not having time to prepare or eat healthy food were the main barriers to healthy eating among both genders. For physical activity, the main barriers selected were lack of motivation to do physical activity, less support from teachers, and lack of time to do physical activity. In general, females faced more barriers to physical activity than males in all countries included. There were significant differences between males and females within each country and among countries for most barriers. Conclusion. Intervention programmes to combat obesity and other chronic noncommunicable diseases in the Arab world should include solutions to overcome the barriers to weight maintenance, particularly the sociocultural barriers to practising physical activity.

Intervention effects on kindergarten and first-grade teachers' classroom food practices and food-related beliefs in American Indian reservation schools

Prevalence of obesity among American Indian children is higher than the general US population. The school environment and teachers play important roles in helping students develop healthy eating habits. The aim of this prospective study was to examine teachers' classroom and school food practices and beliefs and the effect of teacher training on these practices and beliefs. Data were used from the Bright Start study, a group-randomized, school-based trial that took place on the Pine Ridge American Indian reservation (fall 2005 to spring 2008). Kindergarten and first-grade teachers (n=75) from 14 schools completed a survey at the beginning and end of the school year. Thirty-seven survey items were evaluated using mixed-model analysis of variance to examine the intervention effect for each teacher-practice and belief item (adjusting for teacher type and school as random effect). At baseline, some teachers reported classroom and school food practices and beliefs that supported health and some that did not. The intervention was significantly associated with lower classroom use of candy as a treat (P=0.0005) and fast-food rewards (P=0.008); more intervention teachers disagreed that fast food should be offered as school lunch alternatives (P=0.019), that it would be acceptable to sell unhealthy foods as part of school fundraising (P=0.006), and that it would not make sense to limit students' food choices in school (P=0.035). School-based interventions involving teacher training can result in positive changes in teachers' classroom food practices and beliefs about the influence of the school food environment in schools serving American Indian children on reservations.

Impact of nutrition education on nutrition knowledge of public school educators in South Africa: A pilot study

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has not given nutrition education the necessary emphasis that it needs, despite its importance in South African schools. Nutrition is included as only one of many topics forming part of the Life Orientation syllabus. Educators are role models for learners in making healthy food choices, however, studies have shown that major gaps exist in the health and nutrition-related knowledge and behaviour of educators. The objective of this research was to undertake a pilot study to determine the impact of a nutrition education programme (NEP) on the nutrition knowledge of Life Orientation educators in public schools in South Africa (SA). An exploratory baseline survey, to determine the nutrition education practices in 45 purposively selected public schools, was carried out before the experimental nutrition education intervention study. A nutrition knowledge questionnaire was completed by 24 purposively selected educators, representing all nine provinces in SA, before and after a three-day NEP. Pre and post-NEP data were analysed on the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for a Windows program version 17.0 for descriptive statistics, version 17.0. Paired t-tests measured statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) before and after the NEP. The knowledge of the respondents improved significantly after the NEP as the mean±s.d. score of correctly answered questions (n = 59) improved from 63.3±30.2% before to 80.6±21.1% after the NEP. The results proved that nutrition knowledge of Life Orientation educators in primary schools is not optimal, but can be improved by NEP. OpsommingDie Departement van Basiese Opvoeding het nog nie die nodige aandag aan voeding voorligting in skole gegee nie ten spyte van die belangrikheid daarvan. Voeding word aangebied as een van vele aspekte in die Lewensoriëntasie sillabusse. Onderwysers is rolmodelle om gesonde voedsel keuses te maak vir kinders, maar studies het bewys dat tekortkominge bestaan in die gesondheid en voeding verwante kennis en optrede van onderwysers. Die doel van hierdie loods studies was om die impak van ‘n voeding voorligting program op die voeding kennis van Lewensoriëntering onderwysers in publieke skole in Suid Afrika (SA) te bepaal. ‘n Basislyn ondersoek was uitgevoer om die voeding praktyke van onderwysers uit 45 doelbewuste gekose publieke skole te bepaal voor en na die implementering van ‘n eksperimentele voeding voorligting intervensie studie. ‘n Voeding kennis vraelys is deur 24 doelbewuste gekose onderwysers, verteenwoordigend van al nege provinsies in SA, voltooi voor en na die drie-dag voeding voorligtingsprogram. Beide pre en post data is geanaliseer op die Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) vir Windows program, uitgawe 17.0, vir beskrywende statistieke. Gepaarde t-toetse is gebruik om statisties betekenisvolle verskille (p < 0.05) voor en na die intervensie te bepaal. Die kennis van die respondent het betekenisvol verbeter na die intervensie aangesien die gemiddelde ±s.d. uitslag van die vrae wat korrek geantwoord is (n = 59) van 63.3±30.2 persent voor tot 80.6±21.1 persent na die intervensie verbeter het. Die resultate het bewys dat die voeding kennis van Lewensoriëntering onderwysers in publieke skole in SA nie optimaal is nie, maar dat dit kan verbeter deur voeding voorligtingsprogramme.