HSN210: Nutrition and Healthy Eating Program

Assignment One

Part A: Nutrition Promotion Program Planning

As a group, please complete the templates below using the guidance provided on CloudDeakin. Please note:

• Part A includes a table for documenting the group planning for your nutrition promotion program. The maximum total word limit for Part A is 500 words, with guidance for each section. The first row does not count towards the word limit and neither do the headings of each section (background, program aims and objectives etc.)

Background

• The Australian Bureau of Statistics highlights the inadequacy of current dietary trends in children with only 6% of those aged between 6-14 meeting the national recommendations of 5 serves of fruit and vegetables per day.
• Strong, positive correlation between the nutritional choices of parents and their children has been found according to researcher Wyse (p=0.005). This loomed as the largest correlate effecting adolescent nutrition, highlighting the need for better ‘parental healthy eating education’.
• Adolescent development relies upon optimal nutrition for growth, tissue development and learning.
• Childhood is a critical time of learning and along with normal cognitive and social development it is also a critical time in the development of healthy eating habits and sound nutrition knowledge for future use.

Program aim:

• To increase daily vegetable intake among students from Prep to Year 6 in the four primary schools within the Sale, Victoria LGA over one semester through vegetable snack breaks, a vegetable garden, and parent engagement.

Program objectives:

• By Term 4’s end, 70% of students will increase intake by at least half a serve, measured via pre- and post-surveys.
• Implement daily veggie snack breaks.
• Deliver fortnightly parent sessions.
• Establish and maintain weekly student-involved vegetable gardens in all schools.

Theory

• For this program we have decided to use the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), which highlights the interaction between personal factors, behaviours, and the environment.
• The SCT is relevant for primary school settings as it supports learning through modelling, reinforcement, and self-efficacy.
• Our vegetable snack breaks provide repeated exposure and positive reinforcement, while parent sessions help shape the home environment and role modelling.
• The start and end surveys support self-monitoring and reflection, building confidence in making healthy choices.
• The SCT is ideal for creating sustainable dietary change in children by addressing both individual behaviour and the surrounding influences.

Strategies/interventions/program

1. Daily Vegetable Snack Break (Environmental + Social Cognitive Theory [SCT]: Reinforcement and Repeated Exposure)

• A structured daily vegetable snack break will be implemented in all four primary schools, where students bring a vegetable snack.
• Regular exposure improves familiarity and acceptance of vegetables.
• This aligns with SCT, which emphasises reinforcement and shaping the environment to encourage healthy behaviours.

2. School Vegetable Garden (Environmental)

• Each school will create a small vegetable garden. Gardens increase exposure and access, encourage tasting through hands-on activities, and make vegetables more visible and available within the school setting.
• This supports increased intake through sustainable environmental change.

3. Fortnightly Parent Information Sessions (Educational + SCT: Role Modelling and Environmental Support)

• Parents attend fortnightly sessions providing practical strategies for increasing vegetable intake at home.
• Topics include managing fussy eating, creative meal ideas, and parental role modelling.

4. Classroom Vegetable Tracker Charts (Educational + SCT: Self-Monitoring, Reinforcement)

• Each class uses a visual vegetable tracker (e.g., sticker chart) where students mark days they eat vegetables.
• Encourages peer motivation, self-monitoring, and positive reinforcement in a fun, age-appropriate way.
• Builds self-efficacy and goal-setting skills aligned with SCT.

Assignment 2 Part A

Background and Rationale

The necessity for adequate fruit and vegetable intake cannot be understated with fresh produce supplying the adolescent body with essential vitamins, mineral and fibre. Consumption of fruit and vegetables in children has the important role in promoting physical and neural growth as well as preventing the onset of diseases and conditions (World Health Organization, 2023). The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2022 study assessed only 4.3% of Australian children to be meeting the fruit and vegetable intake recommendations. That is, 95.7% of adolescents were recorded to be eating less than 5-7 serves of fresh produce each day (ABS, 2022).

The array of factors which each play apart in forming a child’s diet and eating habits was explored in depth, (Scaglioni et al, 2018). Despite adolescent’s genetic predisposition to favour both sweet and salty foods, Scaglioni highlighted the overarching importance of parental modelling and the way in which knowledge acquired by the guardian is almost always passed down, therefore impacting dietary choices. Additionally, Scaglioni stressed the need for repeated exposure (15 or more times) when introducing new foods to children which he reiterated as one of the shortcomings of many parents.

Primary school is the ideal time for dietary intervention with many long-term habits forming at this age. Many students also have access to food labs, gardens, and dietary education classes enabling reinforcement of the importance of healthy eating. It is aimed that with the encouragement and enthusiasm shown by staff and parents change can be made so that students lesson their risk of chronic disease and also learn for themselves what it means to eat healthy.

Aim and objectives

Aim: To increase daily vegetable intake among students from Prep to Year 6 in the four primary schools within the Sale, Victoria LGA over one semester.

Objectives: By the end of Term 4, at least 70% of Prep–Year 6 students will report an increase of at least half a serve of vegetables per day, as measured by pre- and post-program dietary surveys.

• Within the term 4 timeframe, over 60% of parents will have attended parent information sessions, leading to an increased knowledge of the importance of healthy eating, measured by surveys.
• Each of the 4 schools by the end of term 4 will have implemented a vegetable garden with student participation being the largest contributor to the gardens upkeep.

Application of theory

The relationship between personal, environmental and behavioural influences was coined the social cognitive theory (SCT) by Albert Bandura in 1986. This method provided the building blocks as to the way in which this school-based intervention and how best to educate. Using the SCT, it is aimed that school children will be exposed to new healthy foods whilst being supporting by their guardians and through the development of a vegetable garden (Bandura, 1986). Along with SCT, the theory of observational learning (Birch and Fisher, 1998), explains the influences that impact upon adolescents, namely the role parents have in being role models around dieting and eating well. The immature cognitive state of the adolescent brain naturally looks toward leadership for guidance, which places parents and guardians in a critical position.

Education sessions aim to provide parents with information and knowledge they can later pass onto their children. (Story et al, 2008) explains the features of environmental facilitation and the way in which children must have access to appropriate settings and resources to further their knowledge. Specifically, in the field of healthy eating, (Story et al, 2008) conveys the importance of ‘physical environment’ in adolescents’ forming knowledge and positive habits for the future. ‘Physical environment’ can be tied back to Bandura’s social cognitive theory with positive settings having the ability to influence behaviour (consumption of a more well-balanced diet).

Step-by-Step Mentor-Guided Approach

1. Understanding the Assessment Brief

   • The Academic Mentor first guided the group in interpreting the brief, emphasizing word limits and key sections (background, program aim, objectives).

   • They highlighted the importance of evidence-based rationale, using statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and relevant research on parental influence and adolescent nutrition.

2. Research and Background Compilation

   • Students were guided to collect data and literature supporting the need for intervention, including dietary trends in children and the importance of parental role modelling.

   • Mentor explained how to integrate relevant references (ABS 2022, World Health Organization 2023, Scaglioni et al., 2018).

3. Defining Aim and Objectives

   • Mentor helped students translate the background into a clear program aim, targeting increased vegetable intake among Prep–Year 6 students.

   • Objectives were made specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART): e.g., 70% of students increasing intake by at least half a serve, 60% parent attendance at sessions.

4. Applying Theory

   • The mentor explained Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and its relevance in shaping children’s behaviours through reinforcement, modelling, and environmental support.
   • Students were guided to link program activities to theory:
     • Vegetable snack breaks: repeated exposure and reinforcement.
     • Vegetable gardens: environmental support and hands-on learning.
     • Parent sessions: role modelling and reinforcement at home.
     • Classroom trackers: self-monitoring and peer influence.

5. Designing Program Strategies

   • Mentor worked with students to ensure interventions were practical, age-appropriate, and sustainable.
   • Each strategy was explained in terms of environmental, educational, and behavioural impact.

6. Outcome Evaluation

   • Students were instructed to use pre- and post-program surveys to measure vegetable intake.

   • Mentor emphasized tracking both student behaviour and parent engagement to assess program success.

Outcome and Learning Achievements

Outcome Achieved:

• A structured, evidence-based nutrition promotion program tailored for primary school students.
• Integration of SCT and observational learning theory to reinforce behaviour change.
• Clear linkage of interventions to measurable objectives and evaluation methods.

Learning Objectives Covered:

• Application of nutrition promotion theories in practical settings.
• Development of SMART program aims and objectives.
• Understanding the role of parental influence and environmental support in child nutrition.
• Planning sustainable, school-based interventions with measurable outcomes.

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