Journal of Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences

Background: The optimal growth of children is dependent on proper nutrition and eating habits. If proper child nutrition and diet is the optimal child health is provided. It is important that children are fed according to the most sensitive and vulnerable groups in society against malnutrition and food insecurity form.
This study aimed to determine the level of knowledge and perceived benefits and perceived barriers to primary school students in relation Torbat heydariyeh breakfast and snacks were conducted at 92 academic yea

Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study 180 elementary grade students were selected by multi-stage sampling. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire that its validity and reliability were reviewed and confirmed. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS software and statistical independent T, one way ANOVA and Pearson test.

Results: The results showed that 45.6 percent of students ate breakfast every day and only 22.5 percent ate snack every day. Pearson test showed that the relationship between Knowledge and behavior perceived susceptibility and severity and behavior is positive and significant but this the relationship was not observed between perceived benefits and the behavior.

Conclusion: In this study was determined that behavior of students especially in breakfast and snack consumption is not desirable and according to the direct relationship between knowledge and perceived severity with behavior, can improve nutritional behavior of students through various educational programs and also work with the current models in health education, including the Health Belief Model (which susceptibility and perceived severity are components of this model).