Nutrition Curriculum Training and Implementation Improves Teachers' Self-Efficacy, Knowledge, and Outcome Expectations.

Objective: To examine the effects of training and implementation of Forecasting Your Future: Nutrition Matters on teachers' self-efficacy to teach nutrition and teachers' nutrition knowledge and explore outcome expectations for students.

Methods: A mixed-methods study, with Indiana Family and Consumer Sciences high school teachers randomized to control and intervention, was conducted using baseline surveys, implementation of new or usual curriculum, follow-up survey(s), and semistructured interviews. Self-efficacy and knowledge were analyzed by hierarchical linear modeling. Interviews were thematically analyzed using a 5-phase process to identify outcome expectations.

Results: Intervention teachers (n = 17) had greater increases in nutrition knowledge (P = 0.028) and self-efficacy (P = 0.010) compared with controls (n = 18). Interviews revealed that teachers sought to affect students' long-term health by providing knowledge and skills to make healthy choices.

Conclusions And Implications: This training with updated curricula and implementation improved theoretical determinants of effective nutrition instruction. Teachers expected student learning will contribute to future eating behaviors.