Gamified Nutrition Education with Mastery Learning and Spaced Repetition Theory – Can Improve Nutrition Knowledge

ABSTRACT

Background: Children often consume up to 30% of calories from snacks that are usually low in nutrient value. Over time, poor dietary choices can contribute to an increased risk of obesity and related health problems.

Purpose: Describe the development and utilization of the Self-paced Nutrition Activity on Choices for Knowledge (S.N.A.C.K.) nutrition education game to elicit and reinforce healthier snack choices by children aged 9 to 13 years.

Methods: Children engaged in S.N.A.C.K. on a provided tablet for 15 to 25 minutes, at week 0 and 4. The game was self-paced, providing education about the Nutrition Facts Label, and consisted of three assessments to evaluate knowledge and application.

Results: Data from 41 children, 59% normal weight, and 41% overweight/obese, were included in the analysis. Significant improvements in knowledge and utilization of the Nutrition Facts Label were observed immediately after education, with further advancement after a second session four weeks later.

Discussion: In this study, children immediately improved, and sustained, their newly acquired nutrition knowledge with a single 15 to 25 minute session with S.N.A.C.K.

Translation to Health Education Practice: Educators could incorporate this consistent and accurate education into their curriculum to reinforce a child’s nutrition knowledge over time.

A AJHE Self-Study quiz is online for this article via the SHAPE America Online Institute (SAOI) http://portal.shapeamerica.org/trn-Webinars

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge TupeloLife for their contribution to the technology of S.N.A.C.K.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported in part by a research grant from Mars Incorporated. Additional support was provided from a USDA-NIFA grant CLK under grant number CA-D-NTR-5908-H.