Impact of Drama about Sugar Reduction on the Nutritional Attitude of School Children

Abstract

The purposes of the study were to explore the impact of sugar reduction drama on children’s nutritional behavior. Using a pre-test and post-test design, the children in the second to third grades of elementary school were given self-made questionnaires before, one month and six months after the intervention to evaluate the nutritional knowledge and food selection skills. The sample number of children was 1075, and the average recovery rate of valid questionnaires was 58%. We found that children’s craving for sweets or sugary drinks was motivated by insufficient meals and peer influence. There were significant differences on the benefits of reducing sugar intake, the advantages of drinking water and the correct sugar reduction skills in tested students, and the significant differences persisted to six months after the intervention. There was a significant increase in the percentage of children who agreed that milk and nuts should be supplemented daily. After one month and six months of drama intervention, there was a significant difference in the food cognition in children of reducing daily intake of sugary black tea, flavored fruit juice, and beef jerky. Drama intervention significantly improved the total score of children’s self-efficacy in healthy behaviors. For example, it is very easy for me not eating sweets, not drinking sugary drinks, and eating more healthy food every day. The results of study speculate that children’s eating behaviors towards sugar reduction and avoidance of processed foods are in the contemplation stage of the trans theoretical model. Therefore, the future goal of nutrition education is to enhance school children’s awareness of the impact of reducing sugar and processed food intake on the body, and to promote children’s willingness to change behavior.