Teachers’ awareness and perceptions of Health Education Nutrition Programmes in Greece: A qualitative study

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate primary and secondary school teachers’ attitudes and perceptions regarding the usefulness and effectiveness of Health Education Nutrition Programmes (HENPs) in Greece. Design: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Method: In total, 18 teachers (7 men, 11 women), aged 36–55 years, working in primary ( n = 8) and secondary education ( n = 10) were recruited via purposive sampling from three counties in Greece and were interviewed via through an online platform. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. Results: Four main themes were identified: teachers’ awareness of HENPs; the role of the external environment in shaping students’ dietary habits; the value of experiential learning; and barriers and facilitators to the implementation of HENPs. Most teachers considered HENPs important and effective in improving children’s eating habits through experiential learning; however, training and support were very limited. The family has a crucial role in shaping children’s eating habits, which highlights the need for collaboration between school and family. The main barriers for the implementation of HENPs were lack of time and resources. Conclusions and implications: Teachers perceive HENPs as effective tools to improve children’s dietary behaviour. However, they need support/training from experts to deliver them successfully at school. Expert guidance to train the teachers and family involvement are needed to increase the effectiveness of the HENPs used in Greek primary and secondary schools.