A STUDY TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OFSTRUCTURED TEACHING PROGRAMME REGARDINGKNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE OF BALANCED DIET AMONGSCHOOL CHILDRENS IN SELECTED SCHOOL OFRAJNANDGAON (C.G.)

Abstract

Humans require a wide range of nutrients to maintain a healthy and active life, making a balanced diet essential for normal growth, development, and daily functioning, especially during adolescence, a critical period representing a significant proportion of the population globally and in India. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a teaching programme on knowledge and practice regarding balanced diet among school children. A pre-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test design was adopted using a convenience sampling technique. The total sample consisted of 300 children aged 11 to 14 years studying in classes 6th to 8th at a selected English medium senior secondary school in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires to assess knowledge and practices related to balanced diet, with 100 students assessed daily. The pre-test results showed that 98.3 percent of children were fairly practicing a balanced diet. After the teaching programme, post-test findings revealed improvement, with 98.7 percent demonstrating excellent practice levels. The results indicated a statistically significant improvement in knowledge and practice among the children. The study concludes that structured educational interventions are effective in enhancing healthy dietary behaviors among adolescents.