IJERPH, Vol. 21, Pages 437: New Jersey Leaves No Bite Behind: A Climate Change and Food Waste Curriculum Intervention for Adolescents in the United States

IJERPH, Vol. 21, Pages 437: New Jersey Leaves No Bite Behind: A Climate Change and Food Waste Curriculum Intervention for Adolescents in the United States International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph21040437 Authors: Sara Elnakib Sabrina Subhit Jennifer Shukaitis Amy Rowe Jeanine Cava Virginia Quick Food waste is a major contributor to climate change. Schools offer a unique opportunity to educate on this issue while also reducing food waste generation; however, few climate-change education curricula that include a food waste component have been developed and tested with fidelity. Thus, the purpose of this cluster randomized controlled study was to assess the effectiveness of a climate change and food waste education program called NJ Leaves No Bite Behind (NJLNBB) among fifth-grade students. Lessons on food waste and sustainable food behaviors were developed that aligned with NJ Student Learning Standards for Climate Change and Next-Generation Science Standards. Participants (n = 162) completed pre- and post-test surveys that assessed knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and behaviors. Post-test, the experimental group (n = 102) had significantly (p < 0.05) higher mean scores in knowledge, social norms, behavioral intentions, and perceived behavioral control compared to the control group (n = 60), with medium effect sizes, as determined by partial eta-squared. There were no significant between-group differe...
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research