The Status of Food and Nutrition Literacy and its determinants among Elementary School students in Egypt: community nursing-led design.

AIM

To assess food and nutrition literacy status and its determinants among elementary school students in El-Beheira Governorate, Egypt.

BACKGROUND

Developing strategies to enhance food and nutrition literacy necessitates a deeper understanding of the food and nutrition literacy situation among elementary school students and associated factors.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional descriptive research design was adopted.

METHODS

A final sample of 400 primary school students (aged 6-12 years) at Itay El Barud public elementary schools in El-Beheira Governorate were administered (1) a socio-demographic characteristics and anthropometric measurements questionnaire developed by the researchers, and (2) the Food and Nutrition Literacy Scale. The derived data were analyzed using descriptive and non-parametric tests.

RESULTS

The majority (61%) of students had low food and nutrition literacy scores. The results have shown that overall socio-demographic variables were significant in predicting understanding food and nutrition information, nutritional health knowledge, interactive functional and nutritional literacy, critical food and nutritional literacy, and food labeling.

CONCLUSION

The study reveals that elementary school students in Egypt have poor knowledge and skills in food and nutrition literacy, largely due to a lack of nutrition education and family awareness. Factors like residential location, income, and education level also contribute to this disparity.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION

To improve nutrition literacy among students, a nursing approach involving community stakeholders and school nurses is recommended. This includes integrating nutrition-related topics into the school curriculum, organizing workshops, and conducting age-appropriate health education sessions. Active engagement between community health and school nurses is crucial for raising awareness about healthy nutritional choices.

IMPACT

These findings hold an important impact on the education system and those designing curricula, emphasizing the need for significant incorporation of knowledge and skills related to food and nutrition within schools.

REPORTING METHOD

Compliance with the STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies was maintained throughout the research.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No Patient or Public Contribution.