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Table 2 Factors Associated with Children’s Nutrition Knowledge by Linear Mixed Modelsa (n = 2227, obs = 6383)

From: A school-based nutrition education program involving children and their guardians in Japan: facilitation of guardian-child communication and reduction of nutrition knowledge disparity

R

Variable or question (Fixed Effects)

 

Model 1

Model 2

Model 3 (obs = 5352)b

Estimates (% of correct answers)

95%CI

Estimates (% of correct answers)

95%CI

Estimates (% of correct answers)

95%CI

 

Intercept

 

68.0

[65.9, 70.1]

64.4

[62.4, 66.4]

54.3

[51.6, 57.0]

C

Sex

Girl (vs Boy)

1.1

[0.24, 1.9]*

0.79

[−0.04, 1.6]

0.30

[− 0.54, 1.1]

C

Grade

6th Grader (vs 5th)

3.4

[2.6, 4.3]*

3.3

[2.5, 4.1]*

3.4

[2.5, 4.2]*

 

Nutrition education program: groupc

Second group (vs First)

−1.5

[−2.4, − 0.62]*

− 1.6

[− 2.5, − 0.74]*

− 1.4

[− 2.3, − 0.48]*

 

Nutrition education program: implementationc

After (vs Before)

9.0

[8.1, 9.9]*

8.7

[7.8, 9.6]*

8.7

[7.7, 9.7]*

 

Nutrition education program: evaluation timingc

October (vs May)

1.2

[0.51, 1.9]*

1.03

[0.36, 1.7]*

1.3

[0.52, 2.0]*

  

February (vs May)

0.01

[−1.0, 1.0]

−0.21

[− 1.3, 0.82]

− 0.32

[− 1.5, 0.82]

C

Being careful about what you eat is beneficial for you.d

Yes (vs No)

  

4.2

[3.4, 4.9]*

4.1

[3.3, 5.0]*

C

Being careful about what you eat earns you esteem from those around you.d

Yes (vs No)

  

0.71

[0.10, 1.3]*

0.70

[0.04, 1.4]*

C

Being careful about what you eat places a burden on you.d

Yes (vs No)

  

−0.76

[−1.4, − 0.13]*

− 0.68

[−1.4, 0.01]

C

You discuss meals, food, nutrition, etc. with your guardians.d

Yes (vs No)

  

1.3

[0.72, 1.9]*

1.3

[0.68, 1.9]*

G

Subjective SES

Poor (vs Average)

    

−1.3

[−2.2, −0.30]*

  

Affluent (vs Average)

    

−0.66

[−2.0, 0.68]

G

Guardians’ NK level

in May

    

0.13

[0.10, 0.15]*

G

Being careful about what you eat is beneficial for you.d

Yes (vs No)

    

1.8

[0.57, 3.1]*

G

Being careful about what you eat earns you esteem from those around you.d

Yes (vs No)

    

0.14

[−0.49, 0.77]

G

Being careful about what you eat places a burden on you.d

Yes (vs No)

    

−0.42

[−1.1, 0.23]

G

You discuss meals, food, nutrition, etc. with your child.d

Yes (vs No)

    

0.62

[−0.09, 1.3]

G

My current dietary habits are firmly fixed, so changing them is difficult.e

Yes in May (vs No)

    

−0.65

[−1.5, 0.23]

G

My dietary habits are healthy, so there’s no need to change them.e

Yes in May (vs No)

    

1.3

[0.16, 2.4]*

  1. C, child; G, guardian; NK, nutrition knowledge; obs, observation; R, respondent; SES socioeconomic status; *P < 0.05
  2. a Number of participants included in the analysis was 2227, and number of included observations were 6383, because most participants answered the questionnaire three times (May, October, and February). Mixed models included nutrition knowledge score (the percentage (%) of correct answers in the nutrition knowledge questionnaire) as a dependent variable and implementation of nutrition education as an independent variable. Other variables in the table were covariates. Participants’ ID number and survey area were included as random effects in the models, and other covariates were treated as fixed effects
  3. b Due to missing guardian answers, number of observations used in analysis by Model 3 was smaller than those in Models 1 and 2
  4. c Effect of nutrition education groups were assessed after separating three parts: Group itself (First vs Second group), Implementation of the nutrition education (before vs after implementation), and Evaluation timing (May, October, and February)
  5. d These questions were asked three times (May, October, and February), and each answer was used for the corresponding observation
  6. e These questions were asked only in May. For observations in October and February, answers in May were extrapolated