Improving Preschool Nutrition: Addressing Knowledge and Practice Gaps Among Nursery Staff in Amman, Jordan

Hadieh Al-Mahshi¹Areen Haddad¹Ruba Musharbash²Adam Tawfiq AMAWI³Haitham Jahrami⁴Hadeel Ghazzawi^1*

• ¹Department of Nutrition and Food Technology, School of Agriculture, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan, Amman, Jordan
• ²Clinical dietitian, Dr. Ruba Musharbash center for nutrition counseling, Amman, Jordan, Amman, Jordan
• ³Department of Movement Sciences and Sports Training, School of Sport Sciences, The University of Jordan. Amman, Jordan, amman, Jordan
• ⁴Government Hospitals, Manama, Bahrain, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Medical, Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain, Manama, Bahrain

Background: Preschoolers attending nurseries typically spend a significant period of their day in nurseries, where they consume approximately half or more of their daily meals under the supervision of nursery staff. As the primary caregivers during this time, nursery staff play a vital role in forming children's eating habits and influencing their nutritional intake. Thus, assessing the nutritional knowledge and practices of nursery staff is essential. Objective: To assess the nutritional knowledge and practices of nursery staff members. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among nursery staff. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the nutritional knowledge and practices of the nursery staff members. Results: A total of 53.2% of the nursery staff exhibited high levels of nutritional knowledge, whereas 3.2% showed low nutritional understanding. Additionally, approximately 50% of the nursery staff displayed excellent dietary behaviors, while 6.4% showed inadequate standards. Conclusion: Nursery staff possess preliminary nutrition knowledge but need guidance and training sessions in nutrition that may enhance their essential role in improving preschoolers' nutritional status and health.