Nourishing minds: the effect of the healthy nutrition education on hedonic hunger, adherence to Mediterranean diet and self-efficacy for healthy eating among early adolescence

Abstract

Nutrition education is crucial for improving nutritional knowledge. This study aims to evaluate the impact of healthy nutrition education on hedonic hunger, adherence to the Mediterranean diet and self-efficacy for healthy eating among early adolescence. This one-group, pre-test-post-test, quasi-experimental study included 202 middle-school students. Data were collected using a researcher-designed survey that included demographic variables, the Children's Power of Food Scale, the Self-Efficacy for Healthy Eating Scale, the Mediterranean Diet Score and the Brief Nutritional Knowledge Assessment Form. Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, waist circumference, hip circumference and neck circumference) were also taken. After the pre-test, each student received 2 h of healthy nutrition education. A follow-up survey was administered 4 weeks later. The study revealed that most early adolescents exhibited unhealthy dietary habits, such as skipping main meals (153 % all the time and 602 % occasionally), snacking on sweet treats (333 %) and having irregular eating patterns (474 %). Additionally, the early adolescents had higher weights, BMI, neck circumferences and heights compared with reference values (P < 001). Significant changes were observed post-intervention: lower hedonic hunger scores (beginning: 290 (sd 068), follow-up: 270 (sd 076), P < 001), decreased self-efficacy for healthy eating (beginning: 541 (sd 350), follow-up: 433 (sd 361), P < 001) and increased knowledge about healthy nutrition (beginning: 6723 (sd 1439), follow-up: 8000 (sd 1722), P < 001). This study highlighted that healthy nutrition education enhances nutritional knowledge and decreases hedonic dietary tendencies among early adolescents. Continued nutrition education may further improve children's preferences for healthy foods.