Effect of Health Education on the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Fast Food Consumption among Primary Students in Tehran

Aims: One of the influential factors in maintaining health is nutritional status. As a meal that is prepared quickly and easily and sold in restaurants and eateries, fast food has been popular in many communities. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of health education on the knowledge, attitude, and practice of fast food consumption among primary students in Tehran. Materials & Methods: In this semi-experimental study, 120 primary school students were selected by simple random sampling method during 2015-2016 academic year in Tehran and they were randomly allocated to intervention and control groups. The data were collected from schools in district 6, Tehran, using a valid and reliable questionnaire before and after the intervention in the areas of knowledge, attitude, practice, and demographic variables. The data were analyzed by SPSS 22 software, using descriptive statistics and independent & paired t-tests, Chi-square, and Mann-Whitney tests. Findings: Regarding the knowledge, attitude, and practice scores, there were no significant differences between the two groups (intervention and control) before the intervention, but during ``3 months after education``, a significant difference in knowledge, attitude, and practice scores was seen (p<0.01). In the intervention group, the mean score for knowledge, attitude, and practice, 3 months after intervention was increased by 7.13, 12.96 and 0.87 scores, respectively (p<0.001). Conclusion: Increasing the awareness of educational health in terms of knowledge, attitude, and practice is effectivein the reduction of fast food consumption in primary students.