Impact of Educational Program on Parental Nutritional Social Support among Parent's Female Adolescents

Aims: Adolescence is a golden chance for preventing the harms caused by unhealthy behaviors and it is the time for choosing a permanent healthy lifestyle. The aim of study was to evaluate the impact of educational program on parental nutritional social support among parents' female adolescents. The present field trial was conducted from January to May, 2016. Sixty-three female adolescents (33 persons in intervention group and 30 persons in control group) with the age range of 12 to 15 years at schools of Isfahan, Iran, were selected by multistage random sampling method as the samples of the study. Samples were randomly allocated to two groups. Adolescents’ perceived and received social support from their parents was measured, using a researcher-made questionnaire, of which the validity and reliability were approved. The intervention included 3 educational sessions (each session took 2 hours) within a one-week interval for adolescents’ parents. One month after performing the educational intervention for parents, adolescents’ received and perceived social support for having a healthy diet was measured. The data were analyzed, using SPSS 19 and independent t test, paired t test, Chi square, and Mann-Whitney test. Findings: There was no significant difference between two groups regarding the demographic characteristics of the two groups. Also, no significant difference was observed between the two groups after the intervention regarding the mean level of their perceived and received nutritional social support. Educational intervention on parents does not increase perceived and received social support in early adolescents for receiving healthy nutrients.