Validación de contenidos de una guía didáctica para docentes sobre educación alimentaria y nutricional en Panamá

Abstract

Overweight in schoolchildren in Panama is a growing public health problem. Interventions of food and nutrition education (FNE) that involve teachers are key to promoting healthy diets from schools. The study aimed to validate the contents of a didactic guide for teachers on FNE  by primary-level teachers. Mixed study with educational intervention of nine weeks of pre-test and post-test design, in 22 teachers belonging to four public primary schools that belong to the pilot plan of the Learning without hunger Program of the Republic of Panama. Two online forms were created, the first one to find out the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants and the knowledge, attitudes and practices on eating habits based on the Food-based Dietary Guidelines for Panama (FBDG) and healthy lifestyles. The second to validate the contents of the teaching guide through indicators such asclarity, relevance and writing in its first phase and in its second phase will beused for attraction, understanding, acceptance and involvement. 22 teachers evaluated (86% female). The knowledge about FBDG in pre-test was 27.3%, but it improved significantly (p=0.000) to 90.9% after 9 weeks of training. All the components to validate the contents exceeded 70% efficiency level.

The most notable change was learning about nutrition and healthy eating through playful workshops. The guide was enhanced by integrating suggestions from teachers. In conclusion, the content validation of the educational teaching guide on nutrition and healthy eating constitutes a useful and necessary tool for carrying out FNE in primary schools in Panama.