Status of nutrition education in Mississippi Delta secondary schools: A survey of school principals, food service administrators, and teachers

The purpose of this descriptive study was threefold. The first was to determine the status of nutrition education in Mississippi Delta secondary schools. The second was to examine the perceptions of school principals, food service administrators, and teachers toward nutrition education. The third was to assess the availability, utilization, and satisfaction with existing nutrition education resources and support. The study sample, composed of 47 school principals, 31 food service administrators, and 69 teachers in Mississippi Delta secondary schools, had a 74 percent response rate. Three self-report survey questionnaires were developed for data collection: survey of school principals, survey of food service administrators, and survey of teachers. The questionnaires required Likert-type scale responses with forced Yes-No responses. The SPSS Graduate Pack for Windows Program was utilized to analyze the data. Descriptive statistics were used to describe and present the data.;Study results showed that 48.9 percent of the schools surveyed have curriculum policies for nutrition education. Most of the respondents believed nutrition education was important for students. Also, the findings revealed low attendance at workshops, small total number of hours of nutrition instruction, and a tendency to integrate nutrition with other academic subjects. Barriers included lack of classroom time, limited access to nutrition education materials, insufficient support from administration, and difficulty in meeting with food service staff. Other findings of the study suggested that some teachers were willing to collaborate with dietitians and county extension agents to provide nutrition education. Respondents were interested in receiving nutrition education materials and attending regional workshops and conferences.;Based on these findings, recommendations include the need for: (a) school-based nutrition education guidelines, (b) collaborative efforts among teachers, food service personnel, parents, and community resources, (c) funding for teacher development and training, and (d) parental involvement. Further research is warranted for: (a) evaluation of school-based nutrition education for all Mississippi schools, (b) development of strategies to provide effective nutrition education for students, (c) evaluation of collaboration among teachers and food service staff, parents, and community resources, (d) evaluation of nutrition education materials, and (e) investigation of the relationships among teachers' attitudes, beliefs, training, and self-efficacy in nutrition education.