TITLE:
Peer Teaching Promotes Improved Knowledge and Attitudes about MyPlate and SuperTracker among College Students and Increases Self-Efficacy in Peer Nutrition Educators
AUTHORS:
Danielle Jerome, Sandra Baker, Cheng-Shun Fang
KEYWORDS:
Peer Teaching, College Students, MyPlate, SuperTracker, Self-Efficacy
JOURNAL NAME:
Creative Education,
Vol.9 No.6,
May
31,
2018
ABSTRACT: Background: Peer teaching to college students can be an effective method for improving knowledge and attitudes toward healthy eating. MyPlate and SuperTracker tools are valuable resources for healthy meal planning. However, awareness and knowledge of these tools are necessary to effect change. Objective: To evaluate university students’ knowledge and attitudes about the USDA’s MyPlate icon and SuperTracker tools before and after peer teaching by a nutrition major. Design: Cross-sectional online pre and post-survey administered to participants before and after peer teaching. Participants/Setting: 264 mixed majors enrolled in First Year Experience (FYE) classes at a large university were peer taught by upper class undergraduate nutrition majors on a relevant nutrition topic in 20-minute presentations that featured MyPlate and SuperTracker tools. Statistical analyses performed: Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages) were used for categorical variables and parametric tests (independent paired t-test) were used for continuous variables. P .05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The majority of participants were female (68.2%), freshmen (53.8%), white (83%), and non-nutrition majors (96.2%). Both males and females indicated favorable views towards the MyPlate icon post-presentation. From pre to post presentation, responses related to knowledge about portions (p .001) and reminders to eat healthfully increased significantly (p .001). After the presentation, 92.4% of students agreed that SuperTracker tools are useful for college students, and 88.6% thought they could benefit from using them. A confidential online survey was completed by the peer nutrition educators after their teaching experience. All who responded (14/16) indicated that their presentation skills improved as a result of the experience. Conclusion: Peer teaching is an effective way to promote healthy eating behaviors in college students, improve presentation skills of the peer educators, and can easily be incorporated into FYE classes across college campuses.