Parental participation in nutrition education homework

Abstract

Over a three-week period, a sample of fourth grade pupils brought home nutrition education homework, with which their parents had previously agreed to help. Pupils in a comparison group had the same nutrition program in school but with no homework assignments. Six months later, parents in both samples anonymously completed a survey form inquiring about nutritional practices at home. Returns were obtained from 214 parents in the homework group and from 218 parents in the non-homework group. A significantly greater percentage of parents in the homework group reported that meals at home had changed in an important way in the interim period, that their children were eating more of the "right foods" for breakfast and for supper, and that they had requested printed materials on how to plan a balanced diet. In a parallel study, a greater reduction in cigarette smoking had been reported by parents who had helped their children with anti-smoking homework. The corroborative nature of the two sets of outcomes would suggest that it is worth while to encourage parental involvement with homework in nutrition education at the elementary grade levels.