Planned nursing intervention on healthy food habits

A nation’s wealth depends on the healthy citizens. Food is the foundation for bringing the child to be healthy. The children should adopt a healthy positive attitude. Then only they must be able to become a healthy person.

A balanced diet comprising of healthy and diverse foods is key to promoting good health. After all, we are what we eat, research continuous to prove that eating healthy food habits lead to a diseased body’s metabolic function. However lack of consumption of these nutrients that aid (or) feeding upon the wrong kinds of food leads to an accumulation of toxins within the body, resulting in chronic diseases in the long run. (FAO, 2010)

Nutritious food is one that contains all the essential nutrients. It includes like carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins & minerals .A well balanced diet should contain adequate amounts all these in correct proportions .carbohydrate, protein&fat provide the energy need for various activities. Vitamins and minerals are essential for metabolic process. It does not provide energy. (Victoria, BC., 2010)

Healthy diet is one that helps to improve health. It is essential for the prevention of much chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and cancer. Nutritious food is the type of food which all the needed nutrients. In a healthy diet, all the nutrients and water must be consuming in an appropriate amount.

Healthy diet should contain a balance of macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein&fat) and micronutrients help to fulfill the needs of human nutrition. It will not give any harm to the human body.

Eating healthy foods helps the child to gain the weight. If the child is practicing the healthy food habits, then even up to the life style of n up to adolescent period itself the lifestyle of the child will be in a healthy manner.

One of the important approaches for the children to eating is taking low fat diet. The dietary products such as meat, poultry without skin should be taken in a less amount.

In the house a wide variety of healthy foods have to be prepared. This will help the children to practice healthy food practices.

Instruct the child to eat slowly. Then only the child must be able to differentiate hunger& fullness of stomach in a better manner.

Snacks are good. But continuous snacking can lead to over eating. Snacks should be planned at a specific time during the day part of nutritious diet, without spoiling the child. It helps bring a healthy diet.

Children should be encouraged to choose water as their beverage. Avoid over consumption of sweetened drinks and sodas which increase the rate of obesity child.

For the proper development of this means whole grains (whole wheat, oats, barley, rice, millet) a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. A source of children they need adequate amount of healthy foods which include carbohydrates, protein &fat vitamins minerals like adult. Wide variety of fresh fruits& vegetables.Milk&yogurt which contains high amount of calcium for the bone development.

Children health has never been the central goal of school food program, we need a new paradigm. A planning frame work for improving school, food system, teaching and integrating curriculum around food issues.

Certain diets which claim to help the body rejuvenated. That is called super foods.eg: vegetable diet, certain berries diet. Such as almonds apples, broccoli, garlic, oranges, spinach, yogurt, wheat germ including all vitamins, proteins, fat, carbohydrates, micronutrients etc.

Junk food does not contain any nutrients that are beneficial to the human body. Junk food contains excessive amount of low density and cholesterol that get deposited on the inner linings of blood vessels, including liver failure, diabetes mellitus. (Bennett.W, 2000)

NEED FOR THE STUDY

Karen C.Swellen., (2003) conducted a study regarding obesity. These study finding showed that for the past two decades there is an increased proportion of child hood as well as adolescent obesity. It also determines the physical as well as psychosocial consequences that occur because of childhood obesity. Thus they find out that there is an association between obesity and health of the children .

O.Muller., (2005) This study findings showed that malnutrition is are vital factor. which cause illness &death to the children, Apart from previous years, nowadays the treatment of for malnutrion is very effective, so that the patient’s life can be saved from the hazards of death.

The researcher personally felt that most of the primary school children do not have the habit of taking balanced diet. Present generation is more attracted to fast food items. This may prone to develop gastric ulcer, diarrhea, obesity& other diseases in children. Keeping in view that the magnitude of the problem the researcher is interested to develop a planned nursing intervention on healthy food habits among primary school children.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

A study to assess the effectiveness of planned Nursing intervention on Healthy food habits in terms of knowledge and practice among children in a selected school at Salem.

OBJECTIVES

1. To prepare and validate planned nursing intervention on Healthy food habits among samples.

2. To assess and compare the mean pretest and post-test knowledge on healthy food habits among samples.

3. To assess and compare the mean pre-test and post-test practice score on healthy food habits among samples.

4. To determine the association between the pre-test practice among the samples with their selected demographic variables. (Gender, educational status of the mother and occupational status of the mother).

HYPOTHESES: (Level of significance p<0.05)

H1: The mean post-test knowledge score on healthy food habits will be higher than the mean pre-test knowledge score among samples.

H2: The mean post-test practice score on healthy food habits will be higher than the mean pre-test practice score among samples.

H3: There will be significant association between pre-test practices score on Healthy food habits among samples and their selected demographic variables.

H3(a): There will be significant association between the pre-test practice score on Healthy food habits among samples and their gender.

H3(b): There will be significant association between the pre-test practice score on healthy food habits among samples and educational status of the mother.

H3(c): There will be significant association between the pre-test practice score on Healthy food habits among samples and occupational status of the mother.

OPERATIONAL DEFINITION

1. Assess The Effectiveness:

It refers to the changes in the knowledge and practice of the primary school children regarding healthy food habits.

a) Knowledge on Healthy Food Habits:

It refers to the child’s awareness regarding healthy food habits and which was assessed by structured questionnaire schedule by giving option in the colourful picturised cards. The score was interpreted as adequate knowledge (>75%), moderate knowledge (51-75%), and inadequate knowledge <50%)

b) Practice on Healthy Food Habits:

It refers to healthy activities that include bringing healthy snacks and lunch, hand washing before & after taking food, maintaining cleanliness, and eating the lunch/food completely the level of practice was assessed by checklist.

2. Planned Nursing Intervention Healthy Food Habits:

a). Teaching on healthy food habits:

It refers to the systematically organized programme to provided information about knowledge and practice of healthy food habits. Planned Nursing Intervention was given through food pyramid model, flash cards, and pamphlet. Food pyramid model is a diagram of basic food groups with includes grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, meat and oil.

b). Pamphlet on healthy food habits:

It is the pictorial representation of healthy food practices includes food it can be used (healthy snacks) and which should be avoided (fried food, puffs) as well as food pyramid.

3. Children:

It refers to the children of both genders between the age group of 8 to 10 years studying 3rd, 4th and 5th standards.

4. Demographic Variables:

i. Gender: Boy and Girl.

ii. Educational status of the mother. In this study it is classified into primary education, secondary education, and higher education, undergraduate & postgraduate.

iii. Occupational status of the mother like Govt- employee, private, business and house wife.

ASSUMPTIONS

1. The child may have inadequate knowledge and practice regarding healthy food habits.

2. Planned Nursing Intervention can be effective tool for creating awareness on knowledge and practice regarding healthy food habits.

3. Practice of healthy food habits can be influenced by their age.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATION

Written permission was obtained from concerned authority where the study was conducted. All information was kept confidential and used only for the present study.

DELIMITATIONS

1. Data collection period was delimited to six weeks.

2. The study was delimited to 40 samples.

3. The study was delimited to private school at Salem.

SUMMARY

This chapter deals with the introduction, need for the study, statement of the problem, objectives, hypothesis, operational definitions, ethical considerations, ad delimitations.