Kanistha Chanchay. A self-regulation program on decreasing junk-food consumption among students in Bumrungwitthayathonburi Primary School Bangkok. Master's Degree(Health Education and Behavioral Sciences ). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2006.
A self-regulation program on decreasing junk-food consumption among students in Bumrungwitthayathonburi Primary School Bangkok
Abstract:
Presently, junk food consumption of primary school students is an important problem and all
social sectors must cooperatively solve this problem urgently. This quasi-experimental one-group
pretest-posttest research was implemented by applying the concepts of self-regulation and participatory
learning and aimed to study the effectiveness of a health education program on changing junk food
consumption behaviors of primary school students in grades 4-6, Bumrungwitthayathonburi School,
Bangkok Metropolis. The study group was composed of 116 students and the health education
program lasted for 11 weeks, comprising an analysis and development of curriculum for 3 weeks and
organizing health education activities for 8 weeks. Data were collected before and after the program
using questionnaires, observation, and in depth-interviews with students, guardians, classroom students
and the trade-women in the school. The data analysis was done by computing percentage, mean,
standard deviation, and Paired sample t-test.
The study showed that after participating in the health education program, students junk food
knowledge was significantly increased (p< 0.001). Among grade 6 students it was found that
knowledge had been mostly changed and there was a better self-regulation on junk food consumption
(p< 0.001). Students had increased self-regulation in all 3 aspects (self-observation, self-judgment and
self-reaction) and the highest increase was found in self-reaction. Significantly decreased junk food
consumption behaviors was found (p< 0.001), especially among students whose junk food
consumption behavior was at the high risk. The junk food consumption behavior of these students
decreased by 22.5 percent. During the follow-up period after completion of the program, decreased
junk food consumption behavior was found and the decrease was sustained. The program revealed the
effectiveness of the application of the self-regulation concept and participatory learning on decreasing
the junk food consumption behavior of grade 4-6 students. Participants demonstrated better skills in
self-regulation of junk food consumption, decreased junk food consumption, and ability to analyze and
to select useful snacks which promoted healthy food consumption habits. Therefore, schools should
establish a policy on decreasing /quitting junk food and, a health education program should be
integrated into the school curriculum called Promoting health, fitness and disease prevention in order
to have students practice self-regulation skills and promote good food consumption habits in childhood
which will help them decrease their junk food consumption behavior.