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Title: PIZZA PLEASE: AN INTERACTIVE NUTRITION EVALUATION FOR SECOND AND THIRD GRADE STUDENTS

Author
item STRUEMPLER, BARBARA - UNIVERSITY OF AUBURN
item RABY, ALICIA - UNIV SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI

Submitted to: Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/16/2004
Publication Date: 3/1/2005
Citation: Struempler, B.J., Raby, A. 2005. Pizza please: An interactive nutrition evaluation for second and third grade students. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 37(2):92-95.

Interpretive Summary: Pizza Please is a fun way for second and third grade students to show what they have learned from nutrition education lessons. The games in which they work in teams helps develop social skills as well as show what they have learned. *** The purpose of this research was to develop an evaluation tool to collect nutrition education program impact data from second and third grade students. Pizza Please, a developmentally appropriate pre- and post-assessment detected nutrition knowledge and dietary behavior changes that occurred as a result of participation in an eight-week behavior based, theory-driven nutrition education program. Pizza Please differed from other nutrition evaluations in that it consisted of two parts, an interactive game component and a colorful questionnaire. Both were used concurrently to generate program impact data in an interactive, engaging environment. Children worked in teams to answer game questions, but individually answered questionnaire questions. The game component challenged students to answer situational mealtime questions, a concept determined by a formative evaluation to be valuable to elementary school-aged children. The easy-to-read questionnaire assessed student nutrition knowledge and dietary behavior changes. In summary, Pizza Please was a developmentally appropriate, interactive and engaging evaluation tool appropriate to collect nutrition education program impact data from second and third grade students; to allow students to develop social skills and gain personal nutrition knowledge and dietary behavior information; and to reinforce a concept valuable to elementary school age children.

Technical Abstract: Pizza Please is a testing tool by which nutrition education can be evaluated in an appealing and fun way for second and third grade students. The game and situational questions are developmentally appropriate and interactive. Students are not only tested but also develop social skills by working in teams to answering the game questions. They work alone to answer personal nutrition knowledge and behavior questions that complete the questionnaire.