Effect of Learner-Centred Nutritional Counselling Program on Eating Behaviours of Students in Middle Basic Education Classes

The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of a learner-centred nutritional counselling program on eating behaviours of Nigerian students at the middle basic education level. This research is a pretest–posttest control group study that was conducted among 102 students in middle basic education classes with poor eating behaviours. These students were assigned to the treatment group (number of participants=51) and the no-contact control group (number of participants=51). A quantitative assessment tool – the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire –facilitated the data gathering process at three different time points. Results indicate that the eating behaviours of students in the treatment group (learner-centred nutritional counselling group) improved positively after the program, t(100)=-35.121, p<.001. At follow-up, the significant positive effects experienced by the treatment group due to the learner-centred nutritional counselling program were maintained, t(100)=-35.72, p<.001. The finding suggests that the use of learner-centred nutrition counselling program is advantageous for improving students' eating behaviours at the middle basic education level. Prospective long-term appraisal of the efficacy of learner-centred nutritional counselling intervention on students' eating behaviours with active control group is necessary.