The Effect of Nutrition Education on Nutritional Behavior, Academic and Sports Achievement and Attitudes

Abstract

A vast number of researchers have investigated the impact of nutrition education on children's behavior and attitudes. In most of the studies, it has been revealed that health and balanced nutrition education has a positive effect on students' nutritional habits, body structure and academic achievement. The aim of this study is to determine whether the nutrition education program has an effect on students' nutritional attitudes and behaviors, sports attitudes and performance, and academic achievement. For this purpose, an experimental research design with pretest-posttest control group was used. A total of 60 students in the experimental and control groups participated in the research in Kazakhstan. The data of the study were collected with the 'Nutritional Behavior Scale', 'Attitude towards Nutrition Scale', 'Sport Performance Scale', 'Attitude towards Sports Scale' and 'General Academic Achievement Test'. According to the results of the study, the students who received the nutrition education program achieved positive nutrition attitudes and behaviors, higher sports performance and attitudes compared to the students in the control group who did not undergo any experimental procedure. However, no significant difference was found in the general academic achievement of the experimental and control groups.