The Effect of Education on Fast Food Consumption Behavior in Primary School Students in Birjand

Introduction: Excessive consumption of fast food as well as its adverse health effectschanges the taste of children and leads them to unhealthy eating habits in adulthood. Therefore, proper education is essential for childrenchr('39')s empowerment (knowledge, attitude, and performance). Objective: The effect of education, using the pamphlet presentation method, on fast food consumption in children was investigated. Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental study wasperformed on 120 students (60 controls and 60 cases) of fourth, fifth, and sixth-grade students in Birjand using cluster random sampling. The training was performed by pamphlet method and data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire whose validity and reliability were confirmed by experts and Cronbachchr('39')s alpha test (α = 0.87) before and one month after the intervention. In data analysis, SPSS 16 and descriptive and analytical statistical tests (P= 0.05)) were used. Results: The results suggested excessive consumption of fast food in children. Statistical tests showed that pamphlet education has not had a significant effect on studentschr('39') knowledge (P = 0.4), attitude (P = 0.9), and performance (P = 0.09) in the field of fast food consumption behavior. Discussion and Conclusion: Despite the excessive consumption of fast food in children in Birjand, pamphlet education does not significantly improve the behavior of elementary students. Therefore, it is recommended to use either other appropriate educational methods to empower this age group or this medium in combination with other methods.