Development and Implementation of an Interactive Physician-Directed Nutrition Curriculum for Elementary School Students: Case Study from an Urban Public Elementary School
Preethi Raghupatruni, Miranda WestrickBackground
Childhood obesity remains a growing public health concern in the United States, however, opportunities for preventive nutrition education particularly during pediatric clinic visits are limited. Although elementary schools are an ideal setting for nutrition education, classroom-based teachers often lack dedicated curricula or biomedical training to provide developmentally-appropriate and thorough nutrition education. Physician-led, longitudinal, school-based nutrition education programs present potential opportunities to provide this kind of education but are uncommon, and evidence describing their feasibility and impact is limited.
Objective
We aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate the feasibility and impact of a physician-directed, developmentally appropriate, interactive nutrition curriculum for elementary school students in an urban public elementary school located in an under-resourced community where many families are known to rely on convenient foods with limited nutritional value outside of school time.
Case Description
A five-session nutrition curriculum grounded in U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developmental milestones, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) MyPlate principles, and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines was developed and delivered by a primary care pediatrician over three academic years (2022–2025) at an urban Chicago public elementary school serving predominantly low-income, ethnically minoritized students. The program was implemented bimonthly in first- and second-grade classrooms. Lessons were 20 minutes in length and incorporated multisensory demonstrations, music, visual aids, and a healthy snack aligned with each lesson. Classroom teachers, pediatric residents, medical students, and nutrition interns participated in program delivery. Feasibility and impact were assessed through post-session teacher surveys, iterative feedback, and informal discussions, during the first year of implementation.
Outcomes
Approximately 150 students aged 6 and 7 years participated in the classroom-based curriculum. Their teachers completed surveys after each nutrition lesson, and response rates exceeded 90%. All teachers surveyed (6, 100%) reported that students enjoyed the classes and wished to continue participation, and 95% felt nutrition education should be offered regularly at their school, though only 51% felt able to independently incorporate the lessons into their curriculum. Teachers reported that the physician-led classes filled an educational gap in the nutrition curriculum, exposed students to new, healthy foods, and increased student interest in nutrition concepts. Iterative feedback after year one led to curriculum refinements that improved classroom engagement and retention. Implementation costs were low (under $600), and the program was feasible within existing school schedules. Feedback suggested positive shifts in student attitudes toward healthy foods, benefits to physicians in training, and school–medical partnerships.
Conclusion
A brief, low-cost, physician-led, school-based nutrition curriculum is feasible, well accepted by classroom teachers and students, and fills an important educational gap in elementary schools. This model demonstrated that repeated exposure, interactive teaching methods, and integration of healthy foods may positively influence nutrition attitudes and behaviors among elementary age children, though further iterations will be needed to explore retention and application of concepts and increased intake of healthy food over time. This work also highlighted the value of partnerships between pediatricians and schools and represents a promising approach to childhood obesity prevention beyond the clinical setting.