Effect of a nutritional education intervention on breakfast consumption among preparatory school students in Egypt

Abstract

Objectives: The current study evaluates the effect of nutritional education based on Pender's health promotion model on breakfast consumption behavior among Egyptian school students.

Methods: A pre-posttest intervention study through a nutritional education message based on Pender's health promotion model was carried on 244 preparatory school students. Data were collected using questionnaires and measuring weight, height and blood pressure before and after educational intervention was conducted to the intervention group.

Results: The educational intervention was having a significant positive effect on all components of the model in the intervention group, the mean breakfast consumption, frequency of non-skipping and healthy breakfast per week (p ≤ 0.05). Overweight and obesity and higher blood pressure were significantly present among breakfast skippers.

Conclusions: The nutritional educational intervention based on Pender's health promotion model was effective in increasing the frequency of healthy breakfast among the school students. There is a need to develop evidence-based policies, community, family, and school-based interventions to promote healthy lifestyle and nutritional behavior among adolescents for a better quality of life.

Keywords: Blood pressure; Breakfast consumption; Nutrition education; Obesity; Pender’s health promotion model; Students.