Improving adolescents’ dietary behaviours in the school-setting challenges and opportunities
Adolescence is a critical time for physical and psychological development. At this life stage optimal nutrition is of the highest importance, yet it is also a time of vulnerability for nutrition and the latest research supports this. Even more importantly, poor dietary habits established in adolescence can track into adulthood. Promoting positive food-related behaviours among this age group is imperative to reduce the risk of future ill-health. With children and adolescents spending a significant amount of time at school and consuming up to half of their day’s calories, it is the ideal environment to promote healthful dietary behaviours, whilst being inclusive of ethnic and socio-economic status. Join Lauren Devine as she analyses the key factors which influence adolescents’ dietary choices within the school-setting and identify potential opportunities to facilitate improving adolescents’ dietary behaviours within this environment. You will not only have insight into the importance of targeting adolescents’ dietary behaviours and why the school-setting is an opportune environment to achieve this but also identify strategies which are effective.
What will I learn?
- Understand the key factors which influence adolescents’ dietary choices within the school setting
- Identify opportunities to facilitate improving adolescents’ dietary behaviours
- Apply the knowledge gained to school based dietary interventions and their effectiveness.
Endorsement No EN175.39
Curriculum
- 1 Section
- 2 Lessons
- Lifetime
- Improving adolescents' dietary behaviours in the school-setting challenges and opportunities2
Instructor
Lauren Devine is a PhD researcher within The Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health (NICHE) at Ulster University under the supervision of Dr Alyson Hill and Professor Alison Gallagher. She began her PhD in 2019 after completing her BSc (Hons) (First Class) degree in Food Design and Nutrition. Her PhD focuses on influencing dietary behaviours in adolescents to reduce the risk of obesity using mixed method approaches, with particular focus on adolescents’ dietary choices within the post-primary school-setting and strategies for improvement. Lauren has presented her research at Scientific conferences and events including The Nutrition Society UK Winter Conference in 2021, The Nutrition Society Irish Section Conference, in which she was awarded best poster presentation in June 2021 and was one of the Postgraduate Competition winners in June 2022 and The Ulster University PhD Festival of Research in which she was awarded best oral presentation in 2022.
Alongside her PhD, Lauren is actively involved within NICHE, Ulster University as the current PhD representative and has also gained teaching experience in undergraduate and postgraduate nutrition modules, leading to the successful completion of the Higher Education Academy Associate Fellowship (AFHEA) in 2021. Lauren was also previously Nutrition Society Irish Section Student Representative (2020-2022), a member of The Nutrition Society Student Section (2020-2022) and a member of the organising committee for The Nutrition Society Irish Section Postgraduate Conference in 2022. In addition, Lauren has been a member of The Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) Northern Ireland Branch Committee since 2019 and was previously UK Student Representative, Co-Chair and Chair of the IFST UK student group (2019-2022).
