The Effect of a Nutrition Education Program on the Nutritional Knowledge, Hemoglobin Levels, and Nutritional Status of Nicaraguan Adolescent Girls

ABSTRACT Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a community‐based nutrition education program on the nutritional knowledge, hemoglobin levels, and nutritional status of Nicaraguan adolescent girls and the nutritional knowledge of their mothers. Theory: Self‐care deficit n...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Public health Nursing 2009-03, Vol.26 (2), p.144-152
Main Authors: Moore, Jean Burley, Pawloski, Lisa, Rodriguez, Claudia, Lumbi, Laura, Ailinger, Rita
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
adolescents
Adult
Age Factors
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Female
Girls
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Hemoglobin
Hemoglobins - analysis
Humans
Knowledge
Latin America
Longitudinal Studies
Medical sciences
Metabolic diseases
Middle Aged
Miscellaneous
Mothers
Nicaragua
Nursing
Nursing Evaluation Research
Nutrition Assessment
Nutrition education
Nutritional Status
Prevention and actions
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Qualitative Research
Regression Analysis
self-care deficit nursing theory
Surveys and Questionnaires
Teenagers
Young Adult
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Summary:ABSTRACT Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a community‐based nutrition education program on the nutritional knowledge, hemoglobin levels, and nutritional status of Nicaraguan adolescent girls and the nutritional knowledge of their mothers. Theory: Self‐care deficit nursing theory was used in this study. Design: This longitudinal study used a mixed quantitative/qualitative design to study the effect of the nutrition education program. Sample: The nonprobability sample consisted of 182 adolescent girls and 67 of their mothers. The setting for the study was a community (barrio) in Managua, Nicaragua. Intervention/Measurement: A team of nurse and nutrition researchers created the nutrition education program designed to improve girls' and mother's nutrition‐related self‐care operations. Data collection was carried out for 4 years for girls and 2 years for mothers in Managua, Nicaragua, using questionnaires, a HemoCue, and anthropometric measures. Results and Conclusion: The findings of this study were that girls' and mothers' nutritional knowledge scores significantly improved in most cases after participation in the nutrition intervention program. Girls' hemoglobin levels did not significantly improve and their nutritional status findings were mixed. Girls and mothers described what dietary changes girls made and why.
ISSN:0737-1209
1525-1446
DOI:10.1111/j.1525-1446.2009.00765.x