Quasi-experimental study to assess the Effectivenss of planned teaching Programme on knowledge regarding breakfast skipping and its impact on academic achievement among school going children in selected schools of district Kangra Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

Breakfast is widely acknowledged as the most essential meal of the day, particularly for children in their formative years. Skipping breakfast is a rising concern among school-going children, leading to poor concentration, reduced academic performance, and long-term health implications. Despite known benefits, breakfast consumption remains inconsistent, especially in rural areas due to limited awareness and socio-economic constraints. Methodology: A quantitative research approach with a quasi-experimental one-group pre-test post-test design was adopted. The study was conducted among 60 school-going children aged 8- 15 years in a selected school in District Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. Participants were selected using purposive sampling technique. A self -structured knowledge questionnaire was used to assess knowledge before and after the implementation of a 30- 45-minute structured Teaching Programme (STP) on breakfast skipping and its impact on academic performance. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: The pre-test revealed that 40% of children had poor knowledge, 60% had moderate knowledge, and only 0% had adequate knowledge. Following the intervention, post-test scores showed significant improvement: 76.7%achieved good knowledge, 23.3% had moderate knowledge, and 0% remained in the poor category. The mean knowledge score increased from 11.67±2.995 in the pre-test to 23.3±3.013 in the post-test, with a mean difference of 11.530. The paired t-test yielded a t-value of 2.00 and a p-value of 0.001, indicating statistically significant improvement. The level of significance is 0.005. No significant association was found between post-test knowledge scores and demographic variables. Conclusion:The Planned Teaching Programme was effective in enhancing the knowledge of school-going children regarding breakfast skipping and its impact on academic performance.