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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Article
Author(s)
Myrtle McCulloch1, Priscilla (Ofori) Hammond2 and Jill Chanley3
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DOI:10.17265/2328-7136/2017.04.007
Affiliation(s)
1. School of Nursing and Health Studies, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
2. Better Living for Texans, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Bryan 77803, USA
3. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Washington, DC 20005, USA
ABSTRACT
To address childhood
obesity, it is important to help children make better choices with regards to
intake of sugary drinks and snacks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate
the validity of a novel educational intervention designed to convert grams of
sugar into teaspoons on labeled beverages.
A convenience sample of children (n = 21) at a charter elementary school in Washington, D. C was studied. A pre-test
required an estimation of teaspoons of sugar on labels, followed by a practice
demonstration and song. A post-test was given requiring estimation of teaspoons
of sugar in on the same labels. Two weeks later, a retention test as well as
qualitative questions assessed participant learning and information usage. Test
scores revealed increased accuracy from pre-test (26.2%) to post-test (79.8%).
Estimations were more accurate after the demonstration, as evidenced by the
decreased range in average variation of responses (+25.6 tsp to +1.8 tsp).
Two-week recall maintained accuracy (66.7%), with an average variance of +3.8
teaspoons. Qualitative responses revealed participants had learned and used the
conversion concepts. These results suggest that the educational intervention
was effective. Qualitative data suggest behavior change, increased awareness,
and the potential for change extending to caregivers.
KEYWORDS
children, obesity, sugar-sweetened beverages, education.
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