The Effect of Cox's Interaction Model-based Nutrition Education Program on Health Perception, Dietary Self-Efficacy, Dietary Pattern, and Diet Behaviors of Children

Background: Healthy lifestyle behaviors gained in childhood have a great impact on health in adulthood. Nutrition is one of the most important healthy lifestyle behaviors. Children's nutritional behaviors should be improved through nutrition programs.Objective: To determine the effects of Cox's Interaction Model-based Nutrition Education Program on health perception, dietary self-efficacy, dietary pattern, and diet behaviors of children.Methods: The research employed a quasi-experimental design. This research was conducted with 5th-7th grade students of similar socioeconomic status attending two different secondary schools (n=516). The lottery method was used to randomly assign the two schools to the intervention and control groups. Data were collected using a demographic data form, Children's Dietary Self-Efficacy Scale, Dietary Pattern Index, and Diet Behavior Scale. Cox's Interaction Model-based Nutrition Education Program was applied to students in the intervention group for five weeks. This program consists of two sections: interactive education and educational activities. Paired samples t-test was used for intra-group comparisons and Student's t-test was used for inter-group comparisons.Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of diet self-efficacy, dietary pattern, and diet behaviors in the pre-intervention. After the post-intervention, diet self-efficacy, health perception, and diet behavior scores of the experimental group increased, while the diet pattern scores decreased. However, there was no change in the control group.Conclusions: It was found that Nutrition Education Program given to students positively affected their dietary self-efficacy, health perception, dietary pattern, and diet behaviors. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2023; 37(1):00-00]