Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Healthy Nutrition and Obesity Awareness Education for Middle School Students Using Drama-Based Learning Activities

Abstract

Aim: The prevalence of childhood obesity is rapidly increasing, making it one of the most common nutritional problems globally. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effectiveness of healthy nutrition and obesity awareness education for middle school students using drama-based learning activities. Material and Methods: This study was conducted as a one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study. The study was conducted between October 2023 and January 2024 with 156 middle school students selected by simple random sampling method in a public middle school in a province in the Western Black Sea Region. A six-session face-to-face education program on obesity prevention and healthy nutrition was implemented. Data collection tools included a Demographic Information Form, an Obesity Awareness Scale, and a Nutrition-Exercise Behavior Scale. Data collection tools were administered to students before and one month after the education. Descriptive statistics and dependent sample t test were used to evaluate the data. Results: The mean age of the participating students was 12.33±0.92. Following drama-based learning activities that focused on healthy nutrition-exercise behaviour and obesity awareness education middle school students experienced a decrease in body mass index values. Additionally, a significant increase in obesity awareness and nutrition-exercise behaviour total mean scores was observed after the education (p<0.001). Conclusion: Awareness education on healthy nutrition and obesity, in which students participated interactively and learned by doing and experiencing, was effective in increasing students’ obesity awareness and healthy nutrition-exercise behaviours.