From Colours to Choices: A Video-Assisted Rainbow Nutrition Intervention among Schoolchildren Aged 8–11 Years

Adequate consumption of diverse fruits and vegetables is important for healthy growth and development, yet promoting healthy dietary practices among children remains challenging. This study assessed changes in nutrition knowledge and self-reported dietary practices following a video-assisted rainbow nutrition intervention among schoolchildren aged 8–11 years in Mangalore, India. A quantitative one-group pre-test–post-test study was conducted among 91 schoolchildren recruited through purposive sampling. Participants completed baseline assessments, received a standardized five-minute educational video on rainbow nutrition, and were reassessed one month later. Changes in knowledge and dietary-practice scores were analysed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Mean knowledge scores increased from 6.37 (SD 2.62) at baseline to 10.77 (SD 2.18) at follow-up (Z = −8.101, P < 0.001). At baseline, 44 children (48.4%) had inadequate dietary-practice scores and none had adequate scores. At follow-up, 2 children (2.2%) remained inadequate, while 49 (53.8%) achieved adequate practice scores; the change was significant (Z = −7.702, P < 0.001). The intervention was associated with significant improvements in nutrition knowledge and self-reported dietary practices at one month. These findings suggest that a brief, standardized audiovisual approach may be feasible for school-based nutrition education. However, the absence of a comparison group and reliance on self-reported practices limit causal interpretation. Controlled studies with validated dietary measures and longer follow-up are needed to confirm these findings.