Educational intervention on nutrition among the elderly population with high levels of self-efficacy: is it effective?

Abstract The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of the educational intervention on nutrition in the elderly population with high level of self-efficacy. Material and methods Pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study was used. Educational intervention on nutrition consisting of the cycle of 5 workshops was conducted among 32 people aged 60 years and above. The levels of self-efficacy and sense of responsibility for health were assessed using standardised tools. The effectiveness of the intervention was assessed by the analysis of the pre-test and post-test results. Results Intervention effectiveness analysis has shown the increase of the knowledge both on a global result level (χ²=7.20; p<0.01) and the domain related to the healthy eating plate guidelines (χ²=10.90; p<0.01). Conclusions Educational intervention aiming to increase the nutritional knowledge in the elderly population with high level of self-efficacy is effective. However, the role of psychological variables in the effectiveness of the intervention is unclear and requires further investigation.