Adolescents' nutrition health issues: opinions of Finnish seventh‐graders

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine Finnish seventh‐graders' (13 to 14 years old) nutrition health attitudes, perceptions of skills, reported behaviour and perceptions of families' and friends' nutrition health‐related behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

The research data were collected in a baseline situation through a structured questionnaire presented to seventh‐graders (n=188) in four secondary schools, both rural and urban, in Eastern Finland. Two of the schools were experimental and two were control schools. All schools implemented nutrition health education according to the objectives of the national curriculum for basic education. Additionally, the experimental schools were developing their nutrition health education by using an ICT‐based learning environment.

Findings

The results show that seventh‐grade girls had a greater probability to follow healthy eating habits compared to seventh‐grade boys. Parental support had an important role in seventh‐grade adolescents' healthy eating habits and food choices. Additionally, adolescents' own healthy food preparation and choice skills were associated with healthy and versatile eating among seventh‐graders. As expected, no significant differences between the experimental and control schools were found at this baseline situation.

Originality/value

In Finland, strategies and curricula have been developed in schools to encourage children and adolescents to choose a healthy diet and to prepare healthy meals. Having high‐quality school lunches available to all and practical home economics as a school subject are good examples of well‐implemented nutrition health education, which could serve as model for nutrition health promotion worldwide.

Citation

Räihä, T., Tossavainen, K., Turunen, H., Enkenberg, J. and Halonen, P. (2006), "Adolescents' nutrition health issues: opinions of Finnish seventh‐graders", Health Education, Vol. 106 No. 2, pp. 114-132. https://doi.org/10.1108/09654280610650954