Can goal setting as a component of nutrition education effect behavior change among adolescents?

Abstract

We developed a nutrition education behavior change strategy for high school health classes, and we implemented and evaluated the strategy with 159 adolescents in 12 classes in 6 schools. We used a pre-/postassessment, treatment/ control group experimental design with two treatment groups—one received only the behavior change strategy and one received the strategy plus a traditional knowledge-oriented component. Based on an individualized nutrient intake analysis of a three-day food record, each adolescent in a treatment group selected improvement of one nutrient as a goal. The dependent variable was change in intake of the goal nutrient, analyzed with separate statistical models for each of 6 nutrients. Independent variables in each model were treatment, school, gender, goal, nutrition attitude scores, and nutrition knowledge scores. Although treatment and school were not significant variables, goal was related (p < .01) to behavior change for each of the 6 nutrients. Adolescents who set a goal related to calcium, vitamin A, or vitamin C increased intake and those with a sodium-related goal decreased sodium intake. Gender was related to change for calcium, vitamin A, and folic acid, with males making significant improvements. Nutrition attitudes and knowledge generally were not related to dietary change. Knowledge scores increased significantly in both treatment groups.