Analysis the Null Curriculum of Nutritional literacy among High School Students

Formal education curriculum, in every society, has to foster the physical, mental, emotional, intellectual, moral, and social development of the students. However, the curriculum of secondary education in Iran, suggests the null nutritional education. The aim of this study was to analyze the null nutritional literacy curriculum in secondary education. The research method was survey. The population was all male and female high school students in Yazd (2140 students). Through Cochran formula and random sampling method, 325 students were selected as the sample. The instrument was a standard questionnaire that assessed nutritional literacy (in terms of attitude, skills, knowledge and resources). Its validity and reliability were confirmed. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and independent t-test were used. The results showed that the dimensions of nutrition literacy for both boys and girls were weak. The girls had simpler approach to breakfast comparing with the boys. In the area of nutritional practice, the boys compared to the girls, had more bad habits about salt consumption, but consumption of dairy products was better in them. In addition, the desirability of height and weight in both groups was not satisfactory. In the area of nutritional awareness, girls and boys were aware. Using the chi-square test, the results showed very limited sources for girls, where as the boys had gotten their nutritional information from a variety of sources such as textbooks, network relatives, and friends. The findings illustrate the need to review school curricula in order to promote nutritional literacy and behaviors in adolescent students.