The effect of healthy nutrition education on the behavior of health volunteers in Ilam Province in terms of consuming fast food

Knowledge and behavior of health volunteers can seriously affect the health of their households. Regarding the prevalence of fast food consumption and its adverse consequences, this study aimed to determine the effect of healthy nutrition education on the behavior of health volunteers in view of fast food consumption.

This quasi-experimental interventional study was conducted in 2015. Totally, 110 active health volunteers in Dehloran and Abdanan counties of Ilam province (110 subjects in two groups of intervention and control) were participated in the study. Data gathering tool was a demographic and background questionnaire and a researcher-made questionnaire in which the knowledge, attitude and behavior of health volunteers about consuming fast food were measured in two stages before and four months after the intervention. Educational intervention was a one-day workshop organized in three parts. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 19 through independent t-test, chi-square, and paired t-test. All stages of the study were conducted according to moral standards.

Before the intervention, there was no significant difference between demographic and background variables and the mean scores of knowledge, attitude and behaviors regarding the consumption of fast food, in both groups (p>0.05). After the intervention, comparing two groups showed that the mean scores of knowledge, attitude and behavior have changed significantly in experimental group as compared to the control group (p<0.05).

The results indicate that the implementation of educational programs with a healthy nutrition issue can be effective in correcting malnutrition habits, such as eating fast food.