P164 Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Interactive and Engaging Nutrition Education Curriculum for Children

Abstract

Objective The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the updated Food, Fun and Reading (FFR) curriculum using parent reported changes in child eating behaviors and food-related attitudes and participants’ recognition of foods in the five MyPlate food groups. Use of Theory or Research Nutrition education for young children is more effective when developmentally appropriate, interactive, and experiential activities are included in the curriculum. Including illustrated stories has also been found to increase engagement and improve information retention. The FFR curriculum utilizes both of these strategies. Target Audience The FFR curriculum was used with children from pre-Kindergarten through 1st grade. Program Description FFR is a six-lesson series that engages participants with an interactive MyPlate lesson, a physical activity game, and a child-friendly healthy recipe tasting. The nutrition topic is reinforced by reading a related food-focused story. The original FFR curriculum was developed by University of Vermont Extension in the late 1990s and has recently been updated. Evaluation Methods A retrospective post-pre evaluation was distributed to parents to assess changes in child eating behaviors and food-related attitudes. Pre and post evaluations were given to participants to assess overall changes in participants’ recognition of foods in the five MyPlate food groups. Results Parent survey data were analyzed using a Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. The parent surveys (n = 31) indicated a statistically significant increase in the frequency of children talking about healthy foods (P Conclusion The updated FFR curriculum may be an effective tool for improving knowledge and attitudes, and changing food-related behaviors among participants. Funding None.