الفهرس 
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Abstract
The development of healthy eating behaviors and physical activity patterns helps to optimize health status and promote mental and physical wellbeing.
This study is an intervention study that aimed at assessing the total knowledge about healthy nutrition among a group of students of nursing school in Kasr Al Ainy Cairo University Hospital during the academic year 2009-2010.
A purposeful sampling was used to recruit 100 students withdrawn from first academic grade; two classes were randomly selected from four classes so the sample representing 50% of students in grade I.A questionnaire was designed to collect the data which included personal, socioeconomic and dietary history and assessment of the total knowledge about healthy nutrition among the studied adolescent girls at pre, early post and late posttestphases intervention.
The healthy dietary habits of the studied adolescent girls were illustrated in lesser intake of takeaway foods (73.0%), as well as lesser intake of salty foods (67.0%) and fatty foods (97.0%). Unhealthy dietary habits were illustrated in having less than three meals per day (69.0%) and less daily intake of fruits and vegetables (79.0%).More than half of the participants were classified as normal regarding the BMI (57.0%), (19.0%) of them were classified as underweight, and the minority were overweight and obese (24.0%).A statistically significant difference in the knowledge of the studied adolescent girls at pre, early post and late post intervention, about the components of the healthy diet, more caloric needs during adolescence, increased body needs from proteins, iron and calcium during adolescence, and the physiological value of proteins was found.The total knowledge related to avoidance of over intakeof carbohydrates, fats and fast foods is a healthy dietary habit showed statistically significant difference between pre, early post and posttestphases intervention
(P1=0.12, P2= 0.001, P3<0.001).Regarding obesity as a common health problem among adolescents, there was improved knowledge at late post and early posttest intervention than at pretest phase (P2=0.039, P3<0.001).There was a significant improvement of the knowledge of the studied group about obesity as a risk factor for DM and hypertension after the intervention at early and late phases (P1=0.001, P3<0.001).Regarding the excess carbohydrates intake as a risk dietary factor for obesity, there was statistically significant difference between the knowledge of the studied group at pre, early post, and late posttest (P1 <0.001, P3<0.001).There was a statistically significant difference between the knowledge of the studied group at pre, early post and late posttest intervention related to the artificial preservatives which don’t improve the immune system (P1=0.035, P3=0.013) and the artificial flavors which lead to allergy in some people (P1<0.001, P3<0.001).The mean score for correct knowledge of the studied group reached its highest level at late post test phase intervention (94.20 ± 7.97) followed by at early posttest (90.0 ± 12.59) than at pretest (79.55 ± 11.77), (P1<0.001, P2=0.003, P3<0.001).
It’s concluded that the duration of studying in Nursing School is an important opportunity for improving the knowledge about healthy nutrition and physical activity in order to correct their negative attitudes and unhealthy dietary habits through the nutritional health education.
It’s recommended that conducting regular nutritional assessment and screening of nutritional status for all students, the studying curriculum should include; adequate information about healthy nutritional habits during adolescence and importance of achieving healthy weight.