The use of new technologies for nutritional education in primary schools: a pilot study

- Schools are an optimal place for nutrition education.
- Game-based lessons and new technology, such as robots, can improve children's engagement.
- This study trialled the use of a robot in addition to a game-based nutrition lesson.
- The lesson enhanced children's knowledge, but the robot did not improve outcomes.
- A larger, more detailed trial is required to confirm the findings.

IntroductionThe aim of this study was evaluating if the presence of a humanoid robot could improve the efficacy of a game-based, nutritional education intervention.Study designThis was a controlled, school-based pilot intervention carried out on fourth-grade school children (8-10 years old). A total of 112 children underwent a game-based nutritional educational lesson on the importance of carbohydrates. For one group (n = 58), the lesson was carried out by a nutritional educator, the Master of Taste (MT), whereas for another group, (n = 54) the Master of Taste was supported by a humanoid robot (MT + NAO). A third group of children (n = 33) served as control not receiving any lesson.MethodsThe intervention efficacy was evaluated by questionnaires administered at the beginning and at the end of each intervention. The nutritional knowledge level was evaluated by the cultural-nutritional awareness factor (AF) score.ResultsA total of 290 questionnaires were analyzed. Both MT and MT + NAO interventions significantly increased nutritional knowledge. At the end of the study, children in the MT and MT + NAO group showed similar AF scores, and the AF scores of both intervention groups were significantly higher than the AF score of the control group.ConclusionsThis study showed a significant increase in the nutritional knowledge of children involved in a game-based, single-lesson, educational intervention performed by a figure that has a background in food science. However, the presence of a humanoid robot to support this figure's teaching activity did not result in any significant learning improvement.