A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Game-Based Learning on Knowledge Regarding the Healthy Dietary Pattern Among the School Children in Selected Government Schools, Bengaluru

Background of the study: School age is a period of rapid growth in human development when nutritional demand is increased and dietary habit is established. Also, emotional development is seen such as self-consciousness and one's values are established in addition to physical development. Balanced and sufficient nutritional intake is most essential for children to promote growth and development, to protect and maintain health, to prevent nutritional deficiency conditions and various illnesses and to reserve for starvation and dietary stress. School age children are insufficient of general knowledge on their own health and nutrition and are not aware of the importance of health, and thus select foods on the basis of preference without proper judgment to aggravate unbalanced diets.

Objectives:

1. To assess the existing level of knowledge regarding the healthy dietary pattern among the school children.

2. To evaluate the effectiveness of game-based learning on knowledge regarding the healthy dietary pattern among the school children.

3. To explore the association between posttest knowledge scores with the selected demographic variables of the school children.

Methodology: Quantitative approach with Quasi-experimental design was used to assess the effectiveness of Game- Based Learning on knowledge regarding the healthy dietary pattern among the school children. A structured knowledge questionnaire was developed focusing on the healthy dietary pattern. Validity was ensured in consultation with guides and experts in the field of nursing, medicine and statistics. Reliability of the tool was tested by test retest method and found to be highly reliable with a score of 0.81. The study was carried out in Government primary higher school, Nagarbhavi, Bengaluru. About 60 school children were selected by simple random sampling technique. Structured knowledge questionnaire was used to collect needed data followed by that education was provided by the aid of snake and ladder game regarding the healthy dietary pattern. Posttest was administered after seven days. The data collected were tabulated and analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Major findings of the study: Majority of the school children 40.0% (24) were in the age group of 10 years, 51.7% (31) were females and 55% (33) were from 5th standard, 51.7% (31) belonged to joint family, 46.7% (28) were Muslim, 45% (27) belonged to the family having only two children, 38.3% (23) were the first child in the family, and 66.7% (40) were nonvegetarian. Majority 37 (61.7%) of school children had inadequate knowledge regarding the healthy dietary pattern before Game- Based Learning. Most of the school children 46(76.7%) were having adequate knowledge after Game- Based Learning. The mean difference of overall knowledge of school children before and after Game- Based Learning was 8.30 with a mean % 36.4 with a SD of 3.14. The paired t value calculated 20.45 was significant at p<0.05. There was a significant association of knowledge of school children after Game- Based Learning with demographic variables such as ordinal position of child and dietary pattern.