THE ROLE OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES IN CHANGING THE EATING HABITS OF SCHOOLCHILDREN
THE ROLE OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES IN CHANGING THE EATING HABITS OF SCHOOLCHILDREN

Summary/Abstract: Educating the school population in terms of nutrition is a matter of great importance, both educationally and politically and medically, requiring careful analysis and viable solutions tailored to the specifics of the social and cultural context. It is well known that in the early years of school, the basics of acquiring knowledge and skills training are formed. During the course of this study, I aimed at acquiring knowledge about a balanced diet, building skills for a correct diet and enriching the knowledge about fruits and vegetables (what they contain and what benefits they have on the body). The study aims to show the role of educational programmes for healthy eating in school children and to guide them in food changes. The questionnaire, demonstration, conversation, and PowerPoint materials were used. The questionnaire was applied to a sample of 100 subjects, divided into two experimental and control groups. It included 12 questions with choice answers and 2 open questions about student preferences for certain fruits and vegetables. In both groups there were pupils of the fourth grade, belonging to Secondary School no. 114 in Bucharest. It was intended that the students in the two groups - experimental and control - belonged to homogeneous groups, with a similar status, from a socio-economic point of view. The study has lasted for 6 months, between January and June 2018. In choosing the content of the activities, I aimed to adopt a healthy lifestyle and educate students to understand the nutritional value of food and body needs. The results of the study showed that the hypothesis originally formulated was confirmed, namely that the eating habits can be improved as a result of an educational programme. If at the beginning of the experiment the results of the two groups were similar, a significant improvement of the results of the experimental group was finally observed. The percentage of students who started having breakfast at home increased from 40% to 68%. The number of children who chose fresh fruit at breakfast also increased and the number of those who eat jam and marmalade decreased. The number of students serving fast food products at the evening meal decreased from 18% to 10%. The results have demonstrated the efficiency of the educational programme. Students have understood the benefits of fresh fruit and vegetables, regular meals and optimal water consumption.

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