Feasibility of a Nutrition Label Education Intervention With Computer Gamification to Promote Learning With Year 10 Students.

Nutrition label education promotes healthier diets via the use and understanding of this information, whilst gamification of nutrition education is already known to influence knowledge acquisition and health-related behavioural change among younger people. Evaluate the feasibility of a nutrition label education intervention with school students which features a new computer game "Food Decisions" where players can make food choices using virtual products in various settings; assess potential for enjoyable learning and impact on confidence and knowledge mediators of healthier food choices. A non-controlled, pre-post experimental intervention delivered at a UK secondary school by Teachers and Researchers to students in Year 10 (14 yrs old) in January 2023. The Intervention includes a 1-hour classroom nutrition label education session and individual computer game play. All 30 pupils in the year group were invited to participate following University ethical approval. Pre and post-questionnaire instruments adapted from validated tools were used to assess confidence (10 point scale) and knowledge (% correct quiz answers) of making healthier choices (MHC) and levels of perceived learning and enjoyment playing the game (five point "emoji" scales). Descriptive statistics and pre-post mean differences were analysed using paired t-tests and Chi-Squared. Consent was obtained for 27 pupils, with 20 participants' submitting both pre and post questionnaires (94% White British, 56% female, 93% played computer games at least once a week). Most participants' perceived the game was "fun" (95%) and rated it "really good" (65%). Participants' pre-post levels of confidence in MHC increased significantly (mean difference +3.2, SD 2.3 p<0.05). No differences were found in pre (76% correct) and post (75% correct) levels of knowledge of MHC. This gamified nutrition label education intervention is feasible to use with Year 10 students. There is potential for further development and impact on participants' learning and confidence when using nutrition labels to make healthier choices. UK ESRC Impact Acceleration Account, University of Leeds [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]