Evaluation Of The Nutrition Health Education Program In Primary School Children Of Lisu Ethnic In Yunnan Province

Objective To explore the effects of nutrition health education interventions program in primary school children of Lisu ethnic in mountainous area of Yunnan province, and to provide scientific base for developing an effective, reliable and pragmatic methodology for the malnutrition of school children of other minorities in poor rural areas. Finally, offer a reference of policy decision making for department concerned of government. Subjects Two similar primary schools in areas of Lisu ethnics were randomly assigned into nutrition health education intervention school and control school. A school-based nutrition health education intervention program was launched from April 2004 to November on all pupils registered in the intervention school while all pupils registered in another school served as controls and received no intervention. Methods The comprehensive nutrition health education mainly in the model of three-level (teacher-child-parents) was conducted in the intervention school. Other interventions included dispatching nutrition knowledge brochures, classroom-based teaching conducted by trained teachers, putting up pictures, writing composition on nutrition by pupils themselves and blackboard propaganda by core pupils etc. The nutrition knowledge questionnair survey and nutrition surveys including dietary survey, physical check, biochemical indices were conducted before and after intervention in both schools. Results The dietary surveys show more positive changes including the quantity and quality of energy nutrients and protein and water-soluble vitamins between before and after the program in the intervention school than the control school. The increment of blood hemoglobin and the excretion of thiamine, riboflavin and ascorbic acid in urine burden test occurred to a greater extent in the intervention school pupils while no significant changes shown in the control pupils. The increase in health knowledge and the dietary behavior changes occurred to a higher extent in the intervention group compared to controls. As to anthropometric, physical check, there is no significant difference between two schools while the occurrence of deficiency sign of intervention school children decreased notably. Conclusions The nutrition health education intervention can increase the nutrition knowledge of school children andcorrect the mistake dietary behaviors and promote the nutrition status of pupils in poor, rural ethnic areas. The changes observed in the present study are markedly encouraging and indicate great potential for progressive improvement. Continuation and expansion of such a program may prove to be beneficial in solving malnutrition of pupils in other poor, backward, rural and ethnic areas.