Children’s responses to healthy food graphics: Using the taste and texture appeal of their preferred fruits and vegetables.
Swana, Cwayita
Swana, Cwayita
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Abstract
South Africa faces a double burden of disease where child undernutrition and overnutrition co-exist. Research documents the successful promotional profile of
unhealthy foods targeted at children, but the same cannot be said for healthy food. Scholars from different disciplines are seeking ways of averting this reality by investigating strategies for healthy food promotion. This study determined children’s responses to graphics that promote the sensory appeals of healthy food when applied to the nutrition and wellness components of the Life Skills subject. This qualitative and participatory inquiry adopted the social cognitive theory lens. The study was set in the Ingquza Hill and Port St. Johns municipalities in 6 primary schools. The participants were Intermediary Phase learners and their Life Skills teachers. The study occurred in three phases: situation analysis, learning material development and test and feedback. Data were collected through collaging and group discussions with learners, and interviews with their Life Skills teachers. The data were subsequently recorded, transcribed, translated
and thematically analysed. Twenty-four Grade 5 learners, 99 Grade 6 learners and 9 Life Skills teachers participated in this study. The Grade 5 learners described their preferences for 15 fruits and 16 vegetables. The three popular fruits described were apples, oranges and strawberries and the three most popular vegetables described were carrots, spinach and cabbages. The learners provided 11 preference descriptions, of which taste, food preparation and texture were the most common. Taste was the most popular preference description for fruits and food preparation was the most prevalent for vegetables. The results of the Grade 6 group discussions corresponded with the teacher interviews regarding their nutrition education experience. Nutrition education was reported by both participant groups to be oral based with the use of textbooks, teaching aids, class activities and some practical demonstrations. The teachers identified the main challenge with nutrition education to be its clash with nutrition practices at home. Additionally, the teachers also told of the inadequate teaching material for the volume of learners. Furthermore, the teachers shared that the learners undermine local produce. For future nutrition education practices, the Grade 6’s suggest that it includes more visual learning, and that writing materials, reading and group work should continue. Their teachers expressed a similar view, in that nutrition education should be more practical to assist learners to apply their knowledge. The lead researcher followed a five-step design research process to develop the learning material prototypes using the Adobe CC software. The prototypes for round 1 were visual design directions, practical directions and contextual directions. The prototypes for round 2 were posters, cards and photobooks. Testing and feedback was conducted over two rounds with Grade 6 learners and their Life Skills teachers. Round 1 tested and requested feedback for the visual, practical and contextual directions. This feedback session occurred in three participating schools with 16 learners and one teacher. Round 2 tested and requested feedback for the posters, cards and photobooks. This feedback session took place in two participating schools with 31 learners (16 participated in round 1) and four teachers (one participated in round 1). The results show that learners and teachers were receptive towards the graphics and eager to learn and teach through them. They further shared that they were appetising and more appealing than the imagery in current learning material. The learners and teachers reported on the prototypes’ healthy food, taste and textural appeals. They also made technical contributions and shared their desired usage. The results indicate that nutrition learning material in rural schools should not only
have sensory graphics but have a greater goal of building self-efficacy. The study’s contribution is a framework that graphic designers can implement to promote fruits and vegetables to children. This framework, titled A Framework for Designing Nutrition Learning Material proposes that designers must integrate the home
experience and the school curriculum when designing nutrition learning material. Experiential learning material that visualises a child’s experiential knowledge,
builds self-efficacy.
Description
A research thesis submitted in fulfilment of the degree, Doctor of Art and Design (DDGD20) Communication Design in the Department of Visual Communication
at the Faculty of Arts and Design at the Tshwane University of Technology.
Date
2025-01-02
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Tshwane University of Technology
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Keywords
Food, Health, Graphics, Taste, Texture, Children, Nutrition learning material, Rural schools, Sensory graphics, Social cognitive theory