Effect of Nutrition Education on Nutrition Knowledge Levels of Midwifery Students

Adequate, balanced and healthy nutrition at every stage of life are of great importance for the protection of health and prevention of diseases. The spread of unhealthy eating habits, especially during adolescence and young adulthood, is associated with deficiencies in the nutritional knowledge levels of young people. This study was conducted to determine the effect of nutrition education given to midwifery students on their nutrition knowledge levels. The population of the study consisted of 87 undergraduate students studying in the midwifery department of a state university who had not received nutrition education before. It was aimed to reach all of them without sample selection. Except for 12 students who did not volunteer to participate in the study, the other students constituted the sample of the study (n=75). In the study, a socio-demographic questionnaire form prepared as a result of a literature review and the “Nutrition Knowledge Scale” developed in a previous study were used. The data were collected before and after nutrition education. In the study, it was found that while the mean score of the Nutrition Knowledge Scale of midwifery students was 82.20±14.06 before the training, this score increased to 89.34±11.71 after the training. As a result, it was revealed that nutrition education given to midwifery students significantly increased their level of nutrition knowledge, and this education was effective in strengthening their professional competencies. It is important for midwifery students to acquire general nutrition knowledge. Thus, students can both protect their own health and make proper nutrition recommendations to the individuals around them. In this way, midwifery students may become health professionals who can contribute not only at the individual but also at the social level.