Development and evaluation of a nutritional health program for adolescents

Abstract

Background: Unhealthy nutritional behaviors are a threat to adolescents. In this regard, we compared different training methods through a participatory interventional study.

Materials and Methods: Through proportional random selection, 1823 female students were selected from 15 middle schools of Tehran. Following 2 years of intervention, nutritional habits of three different interventional groups were assessed.

Results: Eating breakfast was significantly higher in the trained groups, and the use of weight loss diets was lower in them than in the control group. Also, satisfactory consumption of various kinds of nutrients in the trained groups was more than in the control group.

Conclusion: Participatory health training, especially through parents, leads to adolescence nutritional health promotion.

Key words: Adolescents, health education, Iran, nutrition, promotion