Nutrition Education Intervention Increases Fish Consumption among School Children in Indonesia: Results from Behavioral Based Randomized Control Trial.

Trias Mahmudiono,Calista Segalita,Qonita Rachmah,Triska Susila Nindya,Luh Ade Ari Wiradnyani

doi:10.3390/ijerph17196970

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of behavioral-based nutrition education to increase fish consumption among school children using a raised bed pool. This was a randomized control trial study with a 3-months nutrition education intervention using a raised bed pool, as a medium to improve their internalization to increase fish consumption behavior. A paired t-test was used to calculate the difference in the increase of fish consumption, knowledge, attitude, perceived behavioral control, subjective norm, and intention. This study took place in a majority of low to medium urban households in Surabaya in Sidotopo Wetan I and Sidotopo Wetan II elementary school. Elementary school children at 4th and 5th grade and mother of elementary school children with 104 children were eligible and willing to participate. After the completion of interventions, significant improvement in delta-mean and effectiveness observed in attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, intention, knowledge, and fish consumption (p < 0.001). The 3 months of nutrition education intervention based on the theory of planned behavior significantly increase fish consumption among elementary school children. The increased consumption was believed to be related to the increase in children’s knowledge and attitude towards consuming fish.

Highlights

Hidden hunger, a micronutrient deficiency such as iron, iodine, vitamin A, or calcium, is one of the nutrition problems that still exist in a developing country, including Indonesia
The analyzed result of the rest of the 102 samples was able to illustrate the effectiveness of nutrition education intervention using a raised bed pool
Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) based intervention using Raised Bed Pool (RBP) in this study revealed that nutrition education within 3-months had given significant effect on students’ behavior which consist of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, knowledge, and the amount towards fish consumption

Summary

Introduction

A micronutrient deficiency such as iron, iodine, vitamin A, or calcium, is one of the nutrition problems that still exist in a developing country, including Indonesia. The prevalence of anemia in schoolchildren globally reached 37% in which was found to be higher in Asian children than. Based on the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS), the prevalence of anemia in children aged 5–12 years declined from 36.4% in 2000 to 20.6% in 2008 [2]. The latest report shows that the prevalence of anemia in children aged 5–14 years is 26.4% and count as a public health problem [3]. A study in one primary school in Surabaya found that the anemia prevalence in the schoolchild reached 13.2% [4]. Anemia in schoolchildren affects the level of learning concentration due to reduced oxygen supply to the brain causes a lack of hemoglobin [5].

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Discussion

Conclusion