Impact of a low-intensity pedagogical model for integrating MedlinePlus exercises into middle school nutrition lessons.
OBJECTIVE
The research developed and pilot-tested MedlinePlus exercises in a diet-related chronic disease prevention (DCDP) middle school lesson unit called "Live."


METHODS
MedlinePlus exercises were jointly developed by two middle school family and consumer sciences (FCS) teachers and integrated into the "Live" DCDP lesson unit. FCS classes (n = 4) who had participated in a prior "Live" study were chosen to pilot-test the MedlinePlus-supplemented exercises. Evaluation measures included student satisfaction (assessed using an 8-item pre- and posttest questionnaire), knowledge gained, and attitudinal changes (assessed with an abridged version of a previously developed "Live" questionnaire). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS.


RESULTS
Of 62 total study participants, 56 (92.3%) said that they were either "somewhat" or "clearly": (a) more likely to use MedlinePlus as a future source for answering questions about their personal health and (b) more knowledgeable about how eating habits can help prevent disease. Selected parameters were improved for nutrition knowledge (P < 0.01) and attitudes (P < 0.01) related to healthy eating.


CONCLUSIONS
MedlinePlus has good potential for efficiently communicating trustworthy diet-related disease-prevention behaviors to adolescents in an existing classroom curriculum.
Rankins
Jenice
J
Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences, College of Human Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1493, USA. jrankins@mailer.fsu.edu
Kirksey
Otis
O
Bogan
Yolanda
Y
Brown
Betty
B
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D053198:Child Nutrition Sciences / Q000193:education*; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D049293:MedlinePlus; D017145:Models, Educational; D012107:Research Design; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires