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Background: Explore associations between nutrition, science, and mathematics knowledge to provide evidence that integrating food/nutrition education in the fourth-grade curriculum may support gains in academic knowledge. Methods: Secondary analysis of a quasi-experimental study. Sample included 438 students in 34 fourth-grade classrooms across North Carolina and Ohio; mean age 10 years old; gender (I = 53.2% female; C = 51.6% female). Dependent variable = post-test-nutrition knowledge; independent variables = baseline-nutrition knowledge, and post-test science and mathematics knowledge. Analyses included descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression. Results: The hypothesized model predicted post-nutrition knowledge (F(437) = 149.4, p < 0.001; Adjusted R = 0.51). All independent variables were significant predictors with positive association. Conclusions: Science and mathematics knowledge were predictive of nutrition knowledge indicating use of an integrative science and mathematics curriculum to improve academic knowledge may also simultaneously improve nutrition knowledge among fourth-grade students. Teachers can benefit from integration by meeting multiple academic standards, efficiently using limited classroom time, and increasing nutrition education provided in the classroom.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Students may be receiving less than an average of 4 hours of nutrition instruction per year. Integrating nutrition with other subject areas such as science may increase exposure to nutrition education, while supporting existing academics. METHODS During the 2009-2010 school year, researchers implemented the Food, Math, and Science Teaching Enhancement Resource ( FoodMASTER) Intermediate ( FMI) curriculum in 18 fourth-grade classrooms, whereas 16 classrooms served as comparison. FMI is a hands-on, integrative curriculum for children in grades 3-5 that uses food as a tool to teach mathematics and science. Researchers developed a 28-item multiple-choice questionnaire to assess students' nutrition knowledge in 6 content areas. Students were evaluated at baseline and post-intervention. Data were analyzed using independent t tests. Analysis of covariance was employed to control for differences at baseline when assessing the effectiveness of the FMI curriculum to increase nutrition knowledge. RESULTS A significant improvement was observed in total nutrition knowledge at post-intervention (adjusting for baseline) between groups (F [1] = 128.95; p < .01) and in all content areas post-intervention. CONCLUSIONS Findings from this study suggest teachers were successfully able to integrate science and nutrition to meet multiple academic standards. More specifically, results showed implementation of the integrative FMI curriculum effectively improved fourth-graders' nutrition knowledge compared with students not exposed to FMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article highlights the FoodMASTER or Food Math and Science Teaching Enhancement Resource initiative, where food is used in the learning process to engage students of all ages. The initiative is a compilation of programs aimed at enhancing food, math and science education.The program entails the partnership of elementary school and college students working together to develop new food products. The hands-on learning activity method can be used in an unlimited amount of various lessons and activities, especially as thematic subject matter to integrate math, science, language, history and many other subject. Information on the FoodMASTER program featured in the Web site of the Ohio University School of Human and Consumer Science.