Improving Food Safety and Nutrition KAP in Ethiopian Schoolchildren: A School-Based Intervention Study.

Inadequate food safety and nutrition knowledge among school-aged children hampers their developing immune systems, increasing their risk of foodborne illnesses and malnutrition. This longitudinal study examined the impact of a school-based intervention on the food safety and nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of 389 randomly selected students in Kuyu District, Northtown, Ethiopia. Data were collected using pre-tested, interviewer-administered questionnaires before and after the intervention. Paired-samples t-tests were performed with SPSS 26.0. Significant improvements were observed across all KAP domains following the intervention (p < 0.05). Inadequate knowledge decreased from 73.3% to 17.2%. Negative attitudes declined from 86.1% to 26.7%. Additionally, the percentage of students demonstrating good practices increased from 23.1% to 68.6%. Mean scores for knowledge, attitudes, and practices also showed significant improvements with large effects: knowledge (pre: M=5.57, SD=1.68; post: M=8.32, SD=1.72; t(388)=-22.71, p<0.0001, effect size=1.6), attitudes (pre: M=4.25, SD=1.35; post: M=7.82, SD=2.00; t(388)=-28.98, p<0.0001, effect size=2.1), and practices (pre: M=5.54, SD=1.34; post: M=8.16, SD=1.49; t(388)=-31.08, p<0.0001, effect size=1.8). The school-based intervention significantly improved students