Project 458474

In Canada, many children do not consume a healthy diet, increasing their risk of developing obesity and other chronic diseases in both childhood and adulthood. One way to help promote healthier diets is through nutrition education in childhood. Research shows that the use of technology, such as mobile health (mHealth) apps (science-based apps developed for learning and health promotion), may improve nutrition education by creating more meaningful and impactful learning experiences for children. However, few mHealth apps that are nutrition-focused contain accurate information and are often not suitable for use in the classroom. Our research team (teachers, game developers, nutritionists) and our partners (Health Canada, school boards) developed Foodbot Factory, a mHealth app to teach elementary school children about healthy eating. Previous research demonstrated that children found Foodbot Factory highly engaging, easy to use and it significantly improved their nutrition knowledge. Building upon this existing research, the proposed project will allow us to understand if Foodbot Factory can be used in the classroom to improve healthy eating knowledge, attitudes and food intake in Grade 4 and 5 school children. To conduct this research, 28 classrooms across Ontario will be recruited and randomized (like the flip of a coin) to one of two groups: 1) to learn with Foodbot Factory in nutrition education lesson plans, or 2) to learn with a non-tech based activity (worksheets, teacher instruction, videos) in nutrition education lesson plans. In both study groups, we will measure nutrition knowledge and attitudes using a questionnaire (like a test) and food intake using a screener. We will also interview teachers about what would help and hinder the use of Foodbot Factory in the classroom. This research will help us understand how mHealth apps can be used in classrooms to support nutrition education and the supports teachers need to use Foodbot Factory in Canadian classrooms.