Effects of multicomponent digital food and nutrition education intervention on nutritional knowledge and dietary behaviors of preschool children

ZHU Siyi; HU Yan; LIU Yajing; LI Xueling; LI Yongjing; CHEN Tongying; GAO Fangfang; WANG Ying; ZHAI Wenwen; WU Jingjing

doi:10.11852/zgetbjzz2026-0076

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Chinese Journal of Child Health Care ›› 2026, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (10) : 1099-1104. DOI: 10.11852/zgetbjzz2026-0076

Early-life Prevention of Chronic Disease

Effects of multicomponent digital food and nutrition education intervention on nutritional knowledge and dietary behaviors of preschool children

ZHU Siyi¹, HU Yan², LIU Yajing¹, LI Xueling¹, LI Yongjing¹, CHEN Tongying¹, GAO Fangfang¹, WANG Ying¹, ZHAI Wenwen¹, WU Jingjing¹

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Abstract

Objective To evaluate changes in nutrition knowledge and dietary behaviors among preschool children and their parents before and after a multicomponent digital food education intervention,so as to provide a scientific basis for promoting food education curricula. Methods A one-group pre-post study was conducted among children aged 3-<6 years from three kindergartens in urban Shunyi District, Beijing. The 3-month intervention comprised one onsite session per month and supporting digital modules. Changes in nutrition knowledge and dietary behavior among children and their parents before and after the intervention were assessed through questionnaire surveys. Results A total of 415 and 298 valid questionnaires were collected at baseline and post-intervention, respectively. After the intervention, parental awareness of the recommended daily variety of foods increased from 32.29% to 39.60% (RD=7.31%, P=0.044), and awareness of the Chinese Food Guide Pagoda increased from 57.83% to 68.46% (RD=10.63%, P=0.004). The proportion of checking nutrition labels before food purchases increased from 56.52% to 68.47% (RD=11.95%, P=0.001). Children showed significant post-intervention improvements in basic nutrition knowledge, healthy dietary behaviors and lifestyle, and nutritional functions of foods(P＜0.05). Daily intake rates of fresh vegetables and fruits significantly increased by 8.02%, and grains, tubers, and legumes increased by 6.79%(P<0.05). Conclusions The multicomponent digital food education interventions effectively improve nutrition knowledge and dietary behaviors among preschool children. Randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes and longer intervention periods are warranted to further evaluate its effectiveness.

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food and nutrition education / preschool children / digital / nutrition knowledge / dietary behavior

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ZHU Siyi, HU Yan, LIU Yajing, LI Xueling, LI Yongjing, CHEN Tongying, GAO Fangfang, WANG Ying, ZHAI Wenwen, WU Jingjing. Effects of multicomponent digital food and nutrition education intervention on nutritional knowledge and dietary behaviors of preschool children[J]. Chinese Journal of Child Health Care. 2026, 34(10): 1099-1104 https://doi.org/10.11852/zgetbjzz2026-0076

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