Health and nutrition education in elementary schools: changes in health knowledge, nutrient intakes and physical activity over a six year period.

OBJECTIVE To examine the effects of a health and nutrition intervention, implemented in primary schools of Crete, on health knowledge, nutrient intakes and physical activity of the intervention population. METHODS The intervention group consisted of 24 schools while the control group consisted of 16 schools. The overall duration of the intervention was six years, while the topics of the intervention primarily focused on children' dietary habits, physical activity and fitness. RESULTS After the completion of the intervention period, the changes observed in health knowledge, nutrient intakes and physical activity were in favour of the intervention group pupils. CONCLUSION The encouraging findings of the study indicate the potential of the programme in health promotion and disease prevention without involving substantial new school resources and time.