title: The use of new technologies for nutritional education in primary schools: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was evaluating if the presence of a humanoid robot could improve the efficacy of a game-based, nutritional education intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a controlled, school-based pilot intervention carried out on fourth-grade school children (8-10 years old). A total of 112 children underwent a game-based nutritional educational lesson on the importance of carbohydrates. For one group (n = 58), the lesson was carried out by a nutritional educator, the Master of Taste (MT), whereas for another group, (n = 54) the Master of Taste was supported by a humanoid robot (MT + NAO). A third group of children (n = 33) served as control not receiving any lesson.
  
  
  METHODS
  The intervention efficacy was evaluated by questionnaires administered at the beginning and at the end of each intervention. The nutritional knowledge level was evaluated by the cultural-nutritional awareness factor (AF) score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 290 questionnaires were analyzed. Both MT and MT + NAO interventions significantly increased nutritional knowledge. At the end of the study, children in the MT and MT + NAO group showed similar AF scores, and the AF scores of both intervention groups were significantly higher than the AF score of the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed a significant increase in the nutritional knowledge of children involved in a game-based, single-lesson, educational intervention performed by a figure that has a background in food science. However, the presence of a humanoid robot to support this figure's teaching activity did not result in any significant learning improvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy; eServices for Life and Health, Fondazione Centro San Raffaele, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosi
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dall'Asta
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brighenti
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy; The Need for Nutrition Education/Innovation Programme (NNEdPro), Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Del Rio
authors.affiliation: Giocampus Steering Committee, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Volta
authors.affiliation: eServices for Life and Health, Fondazione Centro San Raffaele, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Baroni
authors.affiliation: eServices for Life and Health, Fondazione Centro San Raffaele, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nalin
authors.affiliation: eServices for Life and Health, Fondazione Centro San Raffaele, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coti Zelati
authors.affiliation: eServices for Life and Health, Fondazione Centro San Raffaele, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanna
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy; The Need for Nutrition Education/Innovation Programme (NNEdPro), Cambridge, UK. Electronic address: francesca.scazzina@unipr.it.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scazzina
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012371:Robotics; D012574:Schools; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Edutainment; Giocampus; Healthy eating; Master of Taste; Nutritional education; Primary school