To understand parents’ attitudes towards school food education, explore the impact of school food education on parents’ dietary beliefs, and whether it could have a positive effect on dietary behavior.
A stratified cluster random sampling method was used to collect data from parents whose children are from primary school in grades 3-5 in the food education districts and counties (Pingqiao District and Xin County) and the control county (Shangcheng County) in Xinyang City. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on family background, frequency of food intake, and dietary attitudes and dietary beliefs. The differences between the two groups were compared using t test,χ2 test and rank sum test, and the influencing factors of parents’ dietary beliefs were analyzed using a multivariable logistic model.
The survey included 2 601 research subjects, including 1 252 in the food education group and 1 349 in the control group. The proportion of students in the food education group who regularly shared health knowledge was 51.3%, which was higher than that of the control group (33.4%) (P<0.05). In the survey of intake frequency of 7 kinds of foods, the intake of 6 kinds of foods per day in the food education group was significantly higher than that in the control group. The proportion of parents in the food education group who were aware of suggesting their children to drink milk every day was 81.1%, which was higher than the control group's proportion of 66.9% (χ2=67.37, P<0.05). The proportion of the food education group which tried to provide a variety of foods for each meal was 59.8%, which was higher than the control group's proportion of 40.1% (χ2=100.40, P<0.05).
School food education can improve parents’ beliefs of healthy dietary, thereby improving household dietary intake.Children's sharing of health knowledge could play an important role as well.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |