Korean J Community Nutr.  2011 Feb;16(1):1-13. 10.5720/kjcn.2011.16.1.1.

Effects of a Health Education Program for Elementary School Children in Gyeonggi-do Rural Area

• Lim JY
• Na HB

• KMID: 2263785
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5720/kjcn.2011.16.1.1

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to implement and evaluate the health education program for elementary school children. The program consisted of nutritional education and physical exercise. The subjects composed of 89 school children, first through sixth grade (n = 100), who had completed ten weeks of health education program from April through July 2010. Pre-post intervention design was used to evaluate the program effectiveness. After completing health education program, the number of overweight subjects decreased (boys 13 to 11 and girls 11 to 9) and the number of obese subjects decreased from 5 to 4 for boys and 4 to 2 for girls The number of sit-ups significantly increased in both 1-2 grade girls and 3-4 grade girls. Backward trunk extension of 1-2 grade girls also significantly increased (p < 0.05). The level of serum total cholesterol decreased from 171.8 mg/dL to 153.5 mg/dL (p < 0.001). Hypercholesterolemia (above 239 mg/dL), hyperLDLcholesterolemia (above 175 mg/dL) and low level hemoglobin subjects changed to normal levels. Total score of nutrition knowledge increased from 5.9 to 6.1 (p < 0.05), percentage of perception answers increased significantly in 5 out of 10 items and percentage of correct answers increased significantly in 6 out of 10 items (p < 0.05). Three food habits improved, including, "having breakfast", "having diverse foods" and "having vegetables per meal" (p < 0.05). Two self-efficacy items improved significantly, including, "having meals slowly", "having exercise instead of watching TV or computer" (p < 0.05). These results suggest that health education program for elementary school children including nutritional education and physical exercise may be effective to improve their anthropometric characteristics, physical fitness, hyperlipidemia, nutrition knowledge, food habits and self-efficacy.

Keyword

elementary children; health education program; program effectiveness; nutrition knowledge; food habits

MeSH Terms

Child
Cholesterol
Exercise
Food Habits
Health Education
Hemoglobins
Humans
Hypercholesterolemia
Hyperlipidemias
Meals
Overweight
Physical Fitness
Program Evaluation
Vegetables
Cholesterol
Hemoglobins

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Changes of anthropometric characteristics after health education program.

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  Fig. 2 Changes of physical fitness after health education program. *: Significant difference between pre and post-intervention at p < 0.05 SU: Sit-up, TEB: Trunk extention backward, TF: Trunk flexible

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