Fuel for Learning (FFL) is the combination of a nutrition education program, Food Fit (FF), and a classroom stress prevention program, Move-Into-Learning (MIL), reformatted to be delivered via DVD in classrooms during the school day. The objective of this study was to determine the type of knowledge 3rd graders acquired from FFL, the in-school obesity/stress prevention program used as the study intervention. Third grade students (n=143) attending a public and private school in and around Columbus, OH were selected to participate in FFL. Students individually listed what they learned from participating in FFL on a “Healthy Tool Box” worksheet in response to the question, “What might be in your healthy tool box as you move forward?" Participants were also asked to generate what they learned from the FFL program in group classroom interviews.
Quantitative analysis consisted of coding student answers as either reflecting nutrition or stress reduction strategies, and percentages were used to describe the quantity of the Tool Box spaces utilized to articulate nutrition vs. stress reduction knowledge. A T-test for Equality of Means and chi-square test were used to determine significant differences between genders and schools in terms of type of knowledge acquired in FFL. Qualitative analysis consisted of analyzing the group classroom interviews to gather common themes in knowledge articulated. Interviews were analyzed by a panel of science professionals.
Results indicated that 75.8% of all Tool Box spaces described learned nutrition knowledge. Both the public and private school students used the majority of spaces to indicate nutrition knowledge (81.2% and 66.8%, respectively), but a greater proportion of public school students used the majority of their Tool Box spaces to describe nutrition knowledge (63% and 18%, respectively). A t-test for the equality of the percentage of nutrition-based responses for public and private schools concluded that there was no statistically significant difference (mean (standard deviation): 81.2% (23.5%) and 66.8% (19.8%) respectively) in the percentage of nutrition-based responses between the two groups. No significant differences were found between schools or genders in terms of type of knowledge articulation.
Review of knowledge placed in the Tool Box work sheet revealed five common themes: choose healthy foods, the importance of eating breakfast, choose low sugar foods, read nutrition labels, and be aware of the correct serving size for each food. Common themes that emerged in the qualitative interviews included the importance of: healthy lifestyle, healthy food and beverage choices, focus on thoughts other than what is causing stress, and engage in calming, stress reduction activities. Knowledge articulated on the individual Tool Box work sheet was consistent with the answers generated in the group classroom interviews.
Children participating in FFL successfully recalled both nutrition and stress reduction knowledge that can aid in preventing obesity, but were able to generate more nutrition knowledge learned from the program than stress reduction knowledge in both the individual and group settings. Health education programs need to address nutrition, physical activity, and stress prevention concurrently to effectively address the obesity epidemic. FFL may serve as a model for future school obesity/stress prevention programs that can be delivered in the classroom, during the school day.