Improving Food Safety and Nutrition KAP in Ethiopian Schoolchildren: A School-Based Intervention Study.

Inadequate food safety and nutrition knowledge among school-aged children hampers their developing immune systems, increasing their risk of foodborne illnesses and malnutrition. This longitudinal study examined the impact of a school-based intervention on the food safety and nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of 389 randomly selected students in Kuyu District, Northtown, Ethiopia. Data were collected using pre-tested, interviewer-administered questionnaires before and after the intervention. Paired-samples t-tests were performed with SPSS 26.0. Significant improvements were observed across all KAP domains following the intervention (p < 0.05). Inadequate knowledge decreased from 73.3% to 17.2%. Negative attitudes declined from 86.1% to 26.7%. Additionally, the percentage of students demonstrating good practices increased from 23.1% to 68.6%. Mean scores for knowledge, attitudes, and practices also showed significant improvements with large effects: knowledge (pre: M=5.57, SD=1.68; post: M=8.32, SD=1.72; t(388)=-22.71, p<0.0001, effect size=1.6), attitudes (pre: M=4.25, SD=1.35; post: M=7.82, SD=2.00; t(388)=-28.98, p<0.0001, effect size=2.1), and practices (pre: M=5.54, SD=1.34; post: M=8.16, SD=1.49; t(388)=-31.08, p<0.0001, effect size=1.8). The school-based intervention significantly improved students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding food safety and nutrition. These findings underscore the importance of developing targeted initiatives that promote balanced diets and ongoing food safety education for school-aged children, which should be integrated into national food and nutrition policies.