Teachers’ Readiness to Implement Nutrition Education Programs: Beliefs, Attitudes, and Barriers

Abstract

Teachers’ attitudes about school food environments and their readiness to implement school-based nutrition programs were investigated. A total of 1,436 primary-school teachers filled out a questionnaire on their demographic and professional characteristics and their attitudes, beliefs, and barriers for implementing health educational programs. The transtheoretical model and the stages of change were used to assess teachers’ readiness to accomplish (1) a nutrition education program, (2) a nutrition education program with teachers being role models, and (3) a nutrition program including educational activities. Teachers were classified into three readiness stages: precontemplation, contemplation, and combined action stage. Age, self-perception of health, and barriers—lack of time and information—were associated with being in the contemplation compared to the precontemplation stage for a nutrition education program with teachers as role models. For implementing a program based on educational activities, only lack of information was significantly associated with the likelihood of being in the contemplation stage. Teaching experience appeared as a significant factor positively associated with being in the combined action stage for any type of nutrition education program.

Keywords:

• teacher
• nutrition education
• school-based program
• readiness
• stages of change

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to thank the Centre of Educational Research and Evaluation, the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute, and the Ministry of Education and Culture of Cyprus for the formal approval and the teachers for their important contribution for the conduction of the study.