GENIUS JOURNAL (General Nursing Science Journal)
Vol. 7 No. 2 (2026): GENIUS JOURNAL

The Effect of Health Education on Knowledge of Junk Food among Elementary School Students

Latifah, Qurnia (Unknown)
Lestari, Indri Puji (Unknown)
Nurvinanda, Rezka (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
23 Jan 2026

Abstract

Introduction: The high consumption  of junk food among children is a serious issue due to its negative health impacts, such as obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disorders from an early age.  Fast food is popular for its convenience  and taste, but it is low in nutrition. National and international  data,  including  from the WHO  and Riskesdas,  show that junk  food consumption  among schoolchildren  continues to increase, including in Bangka Belitung. Children's low knowledge  about healthy food requires intervention  in the form of health education. Objective: This study aims to determine the effect of health education on knowledge about junk food among fifth-grade students at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Al Islam Kemuja in 2025. Method: This study used a quantitative pre-experimental research design with a one-group pretest-posttest  approach,  involving  70 students through total sampling.  The instrument was  a  closed-ended  questionnaire   with  indicators  for  the  definition,  types,  dangers, selection factors, and prevention of the impacts ofjunk food. Analysis used a paired t-test. Result: The results showed a significant increase in students' knowledge, from an average of 56.89 before the intervention to 76.27 after the intervention, with a significance value of 0.000 (<0.05). Conclusion: This study concludes that health education significantly improves students’ knowledge regarding junk food. These findings highlight the important role of structured educational interventions in promoting healthy dietary awareness among school-aged children. Therefore, healthcare institutions may use these results as a reference for developing and implementing regular school-based health promotion programs. Educational institutions can also utilize this study as supplementary learning material and as a reference in academic resources.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

gj

Publisher

Subject

Education Health Professions Nursing Public Health

Description

Genius Journal is a scientific journal that disseminates research results on the development of science and technology in the field of nursing. This journal facilitates nurse researchers, nurse educators and nurse clinicians from around the world to share information on research findings and ...