Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the nutrition education on preschool children's nutrition knowledge and behaviors. The study subjects were preschool children attending J kindergarten located in Wonju. Each of the control group and the education group consisted of 49 children and the education group was exposed to nutrition education while the control group did not. The nutrition education intervention lasted 9 weeks weekly basis. The t-test for the homogeneity of each group showed no meaningful difference at the beginning point of nutrition education. After nutrition education a test of nutrition knowledge using picture-questionnaire was carried out by the researcher for the subjects of education group and control group and the caretakers of the education group were offered self-administered questionnaire on the changes in children's dietary behaviors. The results of the study were as follows: 1. Nutrition education intervention showed a meaningful difference in children's understanding nutrition; the kinds and function of food, the relationship between food and body, the function of nutrients and enhanced their idea on hygiene compared to the control group (p < p.005). 2. However, nutrition education intervention made no statistically meaningful difference in children's dietary behaviors such as having breakfast, keeping balanced diet, washing hands before meals, saying "thanks" before and after meals, cleaning the table after meals, brushing teeth after meals and so on. Therefore, we found that it is hard to expect children to correct their dietary behaviors in such a short period of 9 weeks and nutrition education for preschool children should be offered to caretakers at the same time.

• Keywords: nutrition education; picture-questionnaire; nutrition knowledge; preschool children