Effectiveness of health education on knowledge, attitude and practice regarding junk food consumption among interns in a tertiary health care center in Chennai, India – a quasi-experimental study

Abstract

Introduction and aim. Junk foods are defined as any of various pre-packaged foods that are high in calories but low in nutritional value. This study was done to evaluate the effect of health education intervention on the knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding junk food consumption among MBBS interns at the tertiary health care center in Chennai, India. Material and methods. This was a quasi-experimental study conducted from January to March 2023 among 105 CRMIs of a Government medical college in Chennai, India. After getting Institutional Ethics Committee approval, data was collected using a pretested self-administered semi structured questionnaire before and after health education intervention. Results. The majority (55.2%) of the respondent interns were hostellers. There was a significant increase in the knowledge (p<0.001), healthy attitude (p<0.001), and healthy practice (p<0.001) concerning junk food intake following health education intervention. Conclusion. Routine repeated sessions promoting health should be implemented in the medical curriculum in order for our future physicians to live a long healthy life as well as to set a good example