ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Sustainable Diets
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1635389
Indian Teachers' and Parents' Perceptions and Experiences of Food and Nutrition Education (FNE) in Primary Schools: Mixed Method Study
Provisionally accepted
- VIT University Chennai, Chennai, India
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Food and Nutrition Education (FNE) is vital for shaping lifelong dietary behaviours and advancing Sustainable Development Goals related to food security and responsible consumption. Despite global initiatives, India lacks a standardized framework for FNE in primary schools, resulting in inconsistent curricula and limited teacher preparedness. This mixed method study examined 350 stakeholders including 110 primary school teachers, 187 parents, and 53 students in Tamil Nadu through structured surveys and qualitative interviews. Quantitative findings revealed that 73% of participants supported weekly FNE sessions, 76% of teachers reported inadequate training in food processing and nutrition, and 68% preferred FNE as a standalone subject. Statistically significant differences emerged between urban and rural stakeholders in sustainability awareness (χ² = 10.94, p < 0.01), and teacher confidence in nutrition education correlated positively with successful FNE implementation (r = 0.68, p < 0.001). Qualitative analysis identified three key themes: (1) limited institutional frameworks for sustainable FNE, (2) strong sociocultural influences on food choices, and (3) disparities in sustainability awareness across regions. The findings support policy driven reforms such as mandatory teacher training, curriculum restructuring to embed FNE, and community engagement programmes. This study contributes practical insights for education policymakers aiming to enhance children's food and nutrition literacy and promote sustainable dietary practices across Indian primary schools.
Keywords: Food and Nutrition Education (FNE)1, sustainable development goals2, primary schools3, Nutritional Education4, Beneficial diet plans5, mixed method study6
Received: 26 May 2025; Accepted: 14 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wilmah A and KARTHIGA. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: R K JAISHREE KARTHIGA, VIT University Chennai, Chennai, India
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