Implementation and evaluation of dietary education trial courses for first-year students in the faculty of applied biosciences: Results from investigation into participants
2010
Tada, Y., Tokyo Univ. of Agriculture (Japan). Faculty of Applied Bio-Science | Kawano, Y. | Tanaka, E. | Maeda, Y. | Takahashi, E. | Furusho, T. | Kamioka, M. | Hida, A. | Nimura, Y. | Kainuma, A. | Takano, K.
We aimed to evaluate changes in both knowledge of dietary education (Shokuiku) and in motivation, in first-year students of the Faculty of Applied Biosciences who attended a voluntary Shokuiku program in 2008. The program comprised 10 lectures on food production, safety management, and health management, as well as 2 farming practicum classes (seed sowing, harvesting, etc.). Twenty of the 27 students who attended the courses belonged to the Department of Nutritional Sciences. We received responses from 24 and 11 students to questionnaires administered before and after the program, respectively. We obtained a 'yes' answer 73-91% of the time in response to the following questions: 1) Was your interest in dietary education activities enhanced? 2) Were you able to obtain the information you sought? 3) After attending these courses, did your understanding of the relationship between farming and diet change? And, 4) Would you take this course if it were officially offered as a class? Seventy-three percent of students replied that they were very satisfied with the courses. By placing 'farming' as the central principle, these courses contributed to food awareness and appreciation, feelings of gratitude toward producers, consideration for the environment, and knowledge acquisition about the relationship between nutrition and health. Future studies should address the generalizability by examining a larger pool of participants. In addition, other issues such as human and material resources should be considered in realization of the Shokuiku program curriculum.
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