Relationship between nutrition knowledge and dietary intake among primary school children in Japan: Combined effect of children's and their guardians' knowledge

Background Improving the dietary habits of children is important to decrease the future burden of noncommunicable diseases. While various food education programs have been implemented worldwide, evaluation of nutrition knowledge is difficult, even at baseline. Further, the relationship between nutrition knowledge and dietary intake has not been clarified in non-western countries. Methods After developing nutrition knowledge questionnaires for Japanese primary school children and adults, we examined whether higher nutrition knowledge of children and their guardians was associated with better dietary intake in children. A total of 1210 children in four public primary schools and 319 guardians were included in this cross-sectional study. Results Nutrition knowledge questionnaires were developed for children in lower and higher grades and adults. Higher nutrition knowledge of the children was significantly associated with higher vegetable intake (p for trend = 0.024 for boys and <0.0001 for girls in lower grades, <0.0001 for boys and 0.020 for girls in higher grades). Higher nutrition knowledge of the guardians was also associated with higher vegetable intake, except for boys in higher grades. The relationship between guardians' nutrition knowledge and intake of staple foods and fruits in children differed by children's sex. Conclusions We developed nutrition knowledge questionnaires for Japanese children and adults and identified a relationship between higher nutrition knowledge and healthier dietary habits. The child's own nutrition knowledge of dietary intake might be as important as that of the guardian for some foods. Sex differences in the effect of nutrition knowledge should receive greater attention in food education.

• Publication year

  2017

• Venue

  Journal of Epidemiology

• Publication date

  2017-05-30

• Fields of study

  Agricultural and Food Sciences, Medicine, Education

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1016/j.je.2016.09.014PMID 28576447PMCID 5602805
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Genetic and environmental influences on food preferences in adolescence12

  2016cited by this paper
• Gender differences in dietary intakes: what is the contribution of motivational variables?

  2015cited by this paper
• Food-based science curriculum yields gains in nutrition knowledge.

  2015cited by this paper
• Dietary patterns are associated with obesity in Japanese patients with schizophrenia

  2014cited by this paper
• Relationship between nutrition knowledge and dietary intake.

  2014cited by this paper
• The relationship between food literacy and dietary intake in adolescents: a systematic review

  2014cited by this paper
• Nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes, and dietary behaviors among head start teachers in Texas: a cross-sectional study.

  2013cited by this paper
• Salt content of school meals and comparison of perception related to sodium intake in elementary, middle, and high schools

  2013cited by this paper
• Home food availability mediates associations between mothers' nutrition knowledge and child diet.

  2013cited by this paper
• An examination of sex differences in relation to the eating habits and nutrient intakes of university students.

  2012cited by this paper
• Effectiveness of subsidies in promoting healthy food purchases and consumption: a review of field experiments

  2012cited by this paper
• Both Comprehensive and Brief Self-Administered Diet History Questionnaires Satisfactorily Rank Nutrient Intakes in Japanese Adults

  2012cited by this paper
• Associations between parenting styles and nutrition knowledge and 2–5-year-old children's fruit, vegetable and non-core food consumption

  2012cited by this paper
• Nutrition knowledge and other determinants of food intake and lifestyle habits in children and young adolescents living in a rural area of Sicily, South Italy

  2012cited by this paper
• Is maternal nutrition knowledge more strongly associated with the diets of mothers or their school-aged children?

  2012cited by this paper
• Validation of a general nutrition knowledge questionnaire in a Turkish student sample

  2012cited by this paper
• Development and test–retest reliability of a nutrition knowledge questionnaire for primary-school children

  2012cited by this paper
• Relationship between Saturated Fatty Acids and Periodontal Disease

  2011cited by this paper
• Nutrition knowledge: a mediator between socioeconomic position and diet quality in Australian first-time mothers.

  2011cited by this paper
• A tool for assessing healthy food knowledge in 5–6-year-old Australian children

  2011cited by this paper
• Compliance with Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) and nutrition knowledge levels in adolescents. A case study from Turkey.

  2011cited by this paper
• Nutritional knowledge in European adolescents: results from the HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) study

  2011cited by this paper
• Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs About Nutrition and Childhood Overweight Among WIC Participants

  2011cited by this paper
• Comparison of relative validity of food group intakes estimated by comprehensive and brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaires against 16 d dietary records in Japanese adults

  2011cited by this paper
• Development and validation of a short, consumer-oriented nutrition knowledge questionnaire.

  2011cited by this paper
• Does nutrition education in primary schools make a difference to children’s fruit and vegetable consumption?

  2010cited by this paper
• Young children's dietary habits and associations with the mothers' nutritional knowledge and attitudes.

  2010cited by this paper
• Improvement in nutrition-related knowledge and behaviour of urban Asian Indian school children: findings from the ‘Medical education for children/Adolescents for Realistic prevention of obesity and diabetes and for healthy aGeing’ (MARG) intervention study

  2010cited by this paper
• Carotenoid, tocopherol, and fatty acid biomarkers and dietary intake estimated by using a brief self-administered diet history questionnaire for older Japanese children and adolescents.

  2009cited by this paper
• A pilot study to examine the effects of a nutrition intervention on nutrition knowledge, behaviors, and efficacy expectations in middle school children.

  2008cited by this paper
• Reproducibility of the School-Based Nutrition Monitoring Questionnaire among fourth-grade students in Texas.

  2008cited by this paper
• [Dietary reference intakes for Japanese, 2005].

  2007cited by this paper
• International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Reliability and Relative Validity of a Child Nutrition Questionnaire to Simultaneously Assess Dietary Patterns Associated with Positive Energy Balance and Food Behaviours, Attitudes, Knowledge and Environments Associated with Health

  2007cited by this paper
• Heritability of food preferences in young children.

  2006cited by this paper
• P116: Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs about Nutrition and Childhood Overweight among WIC Participants

  2006cited by this paper
• Consistent dietary patterns identified from childhood to adulthood: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

  2005cited by this paper
• Impact of nutrition counselling on nutrition knowledge and nutrient intake of 7- to 9-y-old children in an atherosclerosis prevention project

  2004cited by this paper
• Impact of nutrition counselling on nutrition knowledge and nutrient intake of 7- to 9-y-old children in an atherosclerosis prevention project

  2004cited by this paper
• Reproducibility and validity of the secondary level School-Based Nutrition Monitoring student questionnaire.

  2003cited by this paper
• Parental nutrition knowledge and nutrient intake in an atherosclerosis prevention project: the impact of child-targeted nutrition counselling.

  2003cited by this paper
• A randomized trial of a low-carbohydrate diet for obesity.

  2003cited by this paper
• A low-carbohydrate as compared with a low-fat diet in severe obesity.

  2003cited by this paper
• A questionnaire assessment of nutrition knowledge--validity and reliability issues.

  2002cited by this paper
• Nutritional knowledge of obese and nonobese children.

  2001cited by this paper
• Nutrition knowledge and food intake of seven-year-old children in an atherosclerosis prevention project with onset in infancy: the impact of child-targeted nutrition counselling given to the parents

  2001cited by this paper
• Nutrition knowledge and food intake.

  2000cited by this paper
• Gimme 5 Fruit, Juice, and Vegetables for Fun and Health: Outcome Evaluation

  2000cited by this paper
• Dietary reference intakes

  2000cited by this paper
• Development of a general nutrition knowledge questionnaire for adults

  1999cited by this paper
• Development of a questionnaire to assess knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors in American Indian children.

  1999cited by this paper
• Self-administered diet history questionnaire developed for health education: a relative validation of the test-version by comparison with 3-day diet record in women.

  1998cited by this paper
• What Is Coefficient Alpha? An Examination of Theory and Applications

  1993cited by this paper
• The mediating effect of maternal nutrition knowledge on the association between maternal schooling and child nutritional status in Lesotho.

  1992cited by this paper

• Dietary Patterns and Nutritional Status of School-Aged Children in Osogbo Local Government

  2026cites this paper
• Validating the Arabic Adolescent Nutrition Literacy Scale (ANLS): A Reliable Tool for Measuring Nutrition Literacy

  2025cites this paper
• National Survey on Nutrition Knowledge Assessment Among Junior High School Students - 31 PLADs, China, 2023-2024.

  2025cites this paper
• Development of the TEACH Study: A Culturally Responsive Nutrition Intervention Program for Montessori Teachers.

  2025cites this paper
• Efficacy of the Foodbot Factory digital curriculum-based nutrition education intervention in improving children’s nutrition knowledge, attitudes and behaviours in elementary school classrooms: protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

  2025cites this paper
• Relationship between nutrition knowledge and nutritional adequacy in Japanese university students: a cross-sectional study

  2025cites this paper
• Food label literacy among Malaysian school adolescents: A prevalence study

  2025cites this paper
• A Study of Knowledge, Awareness and Action Towards Healthy Food Intake Among Higher Education Institution Students

  2025cites this paper
• Dördüncü Sınıf Öğrencilerinin Beslenme Tutumlarının Dikkat Düzeylerine Etkisi

  2025cites this paper
• Associations of nutritional knowledge with dietary patterns and breast cancer occurrence

  2025cites this paper
• Can kids identify unprocessed fruit as healthier than an ultra-processed sugar-sweetened beverage? Functional versus self-reported nutrition knowledge and dietary intake among youth from six countries: findings from the International Food Policy Study

  2025influential citation
• Enhancing nutritional knowledge and self-regulation among adolescents: efficacy of a multifaceted food literacy intervention

  2024cites this paper
• Effect of demographic factors on attitudes to purchase children’s supplement products

  2024cites this paper
• Feeding pattern, prevalence of malnutrition and associated determinants amongst primary school children in rural and urban communities of Ekiti State, Southwest Nigeria

  2024cites this paper
• Association of Parental Factors and Wealth Status on Overweight and Obesity of Adolescents (Ages 18–19 Years) in Selected Schools in Manila City

  2024cites this paper
• Association between sodium and potassium excretion estimated from spot urine and socioeconomic status among primary school children and their mothers in Okinawa, Japan

  2024cites this paper
• Guardians' food literacy and breakfast skipping among Japanese school children.

  2024cites this paper
• Can a knowledge calendar improve dietary knowledge? Evidence from a field experiment in rural China

  2024cites this paper
• Content accuracy and readability of dietary advice available on webpages: A systematic review of the evidence

  2024cites this paper
• The feasibility of combining greening schoolyards and nutrition education in primary schools: A qualitative study

  2024cites this paper
• Effect of Food Sources on Body Fat Percentage of Students at Diponegoro University, Indonesia

  2024cites this paper
• Co-Design and Refinement of Curriculum-Based Foodbot Factory Intervention to Support Elementary School Nutrition Education

  2024cites this paper
• Perception of the City Outskirts Women on the Barriers to Healthy Eating: A Qualitative Study

  2024cites this paper
• Science electives in high school will improve nutrition knowledge but not enough to make accurate decisions

  2023cites this paper
• Chinese residents’ knowledge about and behavior towards dairy products: a cross-sectional study

  2023cites this paper
• The Nutrition Knowledge Level and Influencing Factors among Chinese Women Aged 18–49 Years in 2021: Data from a Nationally Representative Survey

  2023cites this paper
• Peningkatan Pengetahuan Gizi Pada Siswa Sekolah Dasar Negeri Tanah Putih Sebagai Upaya Pencegahan Malnutrisi

  2023cites this paper
• Self-Reported Parental Healthy Dietary Behavior Relates to Views on Child Feeding and Health and Diet Quality

  2023cites this paper
• Pulse-Based Nutrition Education Intervention Among High School Students to Enhance Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices: Pilot for a Formative Survey Study

  2023cites this paper
• Misreporting of height and weight by primary school children in Japan: a cross-sectional study on individual and environmental determinants

  2023cites this paper
• Nutritional habits in children: Research on health-related habits in schoolchildren in the Republic of Serbia in 2017

  2023cites this paper
• Updating the Foodbot Factory serious game with new interactive engaging features and enhanced educational content.

  2023cites this paper
• Influence of adolescents’ and parental dietary knowledge on adolescents’ body mass index (BMI), overweight/obesity in 2004–2015: a longitudinal study

  2023cites this paper
• The Relations of Knowledge and Attitude Towards Anaemia Among Petanque Athletes

  2023cites this paper
• Urban households’ food safety knowledge and behaviour: Choice of food markets and cooking practices

  2023cites this paper
• A Systematic Review of Healthy Nutrition Intervention Programs in Kindergarten and Primary Education

  2023cites this paper
• Determinants of smallholder farmers’ maize grain storage protection practices and understanding of the nutritional aspects of grain postharvest losses

  2023cites this paper
• Nutrition knowledge, cooking practices, and consumption of indigenous leafy vegetables among households in Sagnarigu Municipality, Ghana

  2022cites this paper
• Association between Children’s Eating Habits and the Level of Knowledge of Nutrition of Guardians

  2022cites this paper
• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the socioeconomic inequality of health behavior among Japanese adolescents: a two-year-repeated cross-sectional survey

  2022cites this paper
• A Review on the Health Benefits of Kalakai (Stenochlaena Palustris)

  2022cites this paper
• Fruit and Vegetable Intake Is Associated with Food Knowledge among Children Aged 9–14 Years in Southwestern Ontario, Canada

  2022cites this paper
• Association between dietary knowledge and overweight/obesity in Chinese children and adolescents aged 8–18 years: a cross-sectional study

  2022cites this paper
• Childhood constipation: Current status, challenges, and future perspectives

  2022cites this paper
• Adolescents’ knowledge and beliefs regarding health risks of soda and diet soda consumption

  2022cites this paper
• Subjective Knowledge and The Antecedent-Mediator Relationship of TPB In Female Adolescence: Healthy Eating Intentions Prediction

  2022cites this paper
• Comparing the perceptions and opinions of the 2007 and 2019 Canada's food guides among parents of young children

  2022cites this paper
• Development of Nutrition Literacy Scale for Middle School Students in Chongqing, China: A Cross-Sectional Study

  2022cites this paper
• Caregiver parenting practices, dietary diversity knowledge, and association with early childhood development outcomes among children aged 18-29 months in Zanzibar, Tanzania: a cross-sectional survey

  2022cites this paper
• The Effect of Nutrition Educational Programs on the Composition of Home Prepared Children’s Breakfasts

  2022cites this paper
• Fundamental Aspects of the Development of a Model of an Integrated Health Care System for the Prevention of Iron Deficiency Anemia among Adolescent Girls: A Qualitative Study

  2022cites this paper
• Parental influences on children’s dairy products consumption: a narrative review

  2022cites this paper
• Association between dietary knowledge and overweight and obesity in Chinese children and adolescents: Evidence from the China Health and Nutrition Survey in 2004–2015

  2022cites this paper
• Assessing readiness to change in regular breakfast consumption among elementary students

  2021cites this paper
• Nutrition knowledge and its relation with dietary behaviour in children and adolescents: a systematic review

  2021cites this paper
• The Impact of Dietary Knowledge on Health: Evidence from the China Health and Nutrition Survey

  2021cites this paper
• Knowledge and practices of dietary iron and anemia among early adolescents in a rural district in Ghana

  2021cites this paper
• Culinary nutrition course equips future physicians to educate patients on a healthy diet: an interventional pilot study

  2021cites this paper
• Self-Management in Nutrition and Exercise

  2021cites this paper
• Impacts of a School-Based Intervention That Incorporates Nutrition Education and a Supportive Healthy School Canteen Environment among Primary School Children in Malaysia

  2021cites this paper
• The degree and influencing factors of household food waste in China from the perspective of food conversion: An empirical analysis based on CHNS database

  2021cites this paper
• Development and Pilot Testing of a Nutrition Attitudes and Knowledge Questionnaire to Measure Changes of Child Nutrition Knowledge related to the Canada's Food Guide.

  2021cites this paper
• Factors Influencing Food Preferences Among International Students in Universiti Putra Malaysia

  2021cites this paper
• Mothers’ Nutritional Knowledge, Self-efficacy, and Practice of Meal Preparation for School-age Children in Yangon, Myanmar

  2021cites this paper
• Breakfast and lunchboxes provided to foundation phase learners: do caregivers’ knowledge and attitude reflect their practices?

  2021cites this paper
• Nutrition Knowledge, Dietary Pattern, and Nutritional Status of Elementary Students in Makassar City

  2021cites this paper
• The Effect of Different Nutrition Education Approaches on Children’s Nutritional Status

  2021cites this paper
• Development and Validation of Nutrition Literacy Scale for Middle School Students in Chongqing, China: A Cross-Sectional Study

  2021cites this paper
• Evaluation of the nutritional habits of second-year high school students in the Seferihisar region with the ecological framework

  2021cites this paper
• Relationship between maternal employment status and children’s food intake in Japan

  2021cites this paper
• Association between dietary related factors and central obesity among married women: China Health and Nutrition Survey.

  2021cites this paper
• Factor Affecting Nutritional Status among Students in Pandemic Period: Sleep Duration, Physical Activity, and Knowledge of Balanced Nutrition

  2021cites this paper
• A school-based nutrition education program involving children and their guardians in Japan: facilitation of guardian-child communication and reduction of nutrition knowledge disparity

  2021cites this paper
• Defining food literacy and dietary patterns among senior high school students in Malang City, East Java

  2021cites this paper
• Do school-based nutrition interventions improve the eating behavior of school-age children?

  2021cites this paper
• Explaining Income-Related Inequalities in Dietary Knowledge: Evidence from the China Health and Nutrition Survey

  2020cites this paper
• Nutrition Education Intervention to Promote Nutrition Knowledge in Preschool Children at District of Leiria, Portugal

  2020cites this paper
• Gaps in knowledge and practice on dietary consumption among rural farming households; a call for nutrition education training in Tanzania

  2020cites this paper
• Culinary nutrition course equips future physicians to educate patients on healthy diet

  2020cites this paper
• Nutritional Education Model Through Crossword Puzzles Toward Knowledge And Macro Nutrient Intake Of Primary School Student In Bengkulu City

  2020cites this paper
• Factors Associated With Self-Efficacy Toward Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Among Kuwaiti Adolescent Girls

  2020cites this paper
• Gender and age differences in the relationship between calorie, macronutrients intake and growth status of school-aged Aboriginal children at Labu, Negeri Sembilan

  2020cites this paper
• Impact of a nutrition education programme on free sugar intake & nutrition-related knowledge in fifth-grade schoolchildren.

  2020cites this paper
• Majority of New Onset of Dental Caries Occurred from Caries-Free Students: A Longitudinal Study in Primary School Students

  2020cites this paper
• THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ANIMATION VIDEO TO INCREASE ADOLESCENTS’ NUTRITIONAL KNOWLEDGE

  2020cites this paper
• What Do Polish Parents and Caregivers Think of Dietary Supplements for Children Aged 3–12?

  2020cites this paper
• Mothers’ Nutrition Knowledge Is Unlikely to Be Related to Adolescents’ Habitual Nutrient Intake Inadequacy in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study of Japanese Junior High School Students

  2020cites this paper
• Dietary Behaviours Among Han, Tujia and Miao Primary School Students: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Chongqing, China

  2020cites this paper
• Associations between Child and Parent Knowledge of Added Sugar Recommendations and Added Sugar Intake in Multiethnic Elementary-Aged Children

  2020cites this paper
• Relationship between nutrition knowledge, education and other determinants of food intake and lifestyle habits among adolescents from urban and rural secondary schools in Tyrol, Western Austria

  2020cites this paper
• A qualitative investigation of school age children, their parents and school staff on their participation in the Digital Education to LImit Salt in the Home (DELISH) program.

  2020cites this paper
• RMHP_A_249101 1309..1318

  2020cites this paper
• Nutritional status, physical activity and associated nutrition knowledge of primary school learners

  2020cites this paper
• Effectiveness of Healthy Foodie Nutrition Game Application as Reinforcement Intervention to Previous Standard Nutrition Education of School-Aged Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial*

  2019cites this paper
• Plan-Cook-Eat: A Meal Planner App with Optimal Macronutrient Distribution of Calories Based on Personal Total Daily Energy Expenditure

  2019cites this paper
• Association between parents' work hours and nutrient inadequacy in Japanese schoolchildren on weekdays and weekends.

  2019cites this paper
• Knowledge of Breakfast, Protein Intake of Breakfast, and Nutritional Status on Primary School Children

  2019cites this paper
• Feeding-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices among Grandparents in Singapore

  2019cites this paper
• The Relationship between Nutritional Knowledge and Food Habits and Some Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Patients with Diabetes in Shiraz, Iran

  2019cites this paper
• The Effect of Nutritional Education on Knowledge and Practice at the Household Level in Zahedan

  2019cites this paper