Rural Nebraska elementary school educators teach nutrition concepts.
The purpose of this study was to determine if differences exist in the teaching of nutrition to students in grades one to four in rural (less than 10,000 population); midsized (10,000 to 99,999); and urban (100,000 or more) counties in Nebraska. Surveys were sent to one-fifth of educators teaching grades one to four (n = 1,232); the response rate was 37.7%. Sixty-eight percent of the teachers responded that the teaching of nutrition was of very high or high priority in the elementary curriculum. Nutrition was taught as part of a nutrition/health unit as well as being integrated into other subject areas. The resources the teachers used were not diffrent by county population size. Significant differences (p < .05) were observed among county groups as to the frequency of teaching the recommended intakes of grain products, vegetables, fruits, dairy, and meats, with urban teachers teaching these concepts least often. The majority of the teachers rarely, if ever, taught serving sizes and which food groups are in combination foods, with no differences among county groups. The formal training that the respondents had in nutrition was not diffrent among groups. A larger percentage of teachers in rural and midsized community groups taught food selection concepts more consistently or frequently than did their urban counterparts.
Pohlman
H Darlene
HD
Department of Nutritional Science and Dietetics, University of Nebraska, Lincoln 68583-0806, USA.
Driskell
Judy A
JA
D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D053198:Child Nutrition Sciences / Q000193:education*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005178:Faculty / Q000592:standards*; D006266:Health Education / Q000592:standards*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009329:Nebraska; D012424:Rural Population; D012574:Schools / Q000458:organization & administration; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D014505:Urban Population