In line with the biggest football tournament held in Qatar

The Human Nutrition Department (HND) at the College of Health Sciences (CHS), a member of QU-Health at Qatar University (QU), hosted more than 200 primary students (from Oscar Academy and Global International schools) on-campus to live an engaging and fun educational experience. The event was titled "Go Nutritious, Go Active, Choose Safe Food" as part of the QU health campaign and in the spirit of the biggest football event to be held in Qatar in the coming few weeks.

The purpose of the event was to promote healthy eating, food safety and active lifestyle in children along with sustainability. Building habits at a young age will persist in adult age and reduce the likelihood of developing diseases. The event included six booths and students were divided into football teams and passed by all the booths. Each booth incorporated various activities, educational materials, and giveaways shared with children by undergraduate Human Nutrition students from different batches. The event was in collaboration with the ministry of public health who also had a station with giveaways to the children.

In the Healthy Eating booth, children were introduced to the different My Plate food groups. As part of a spinning wheel game, kids had to match the food items shown with the right food group selected in the wheel, followed by a portion size estimation activity in a big MyPlate cork. In addition, children were asked to grocery shop and look for healthy, nutritious food items among different market products. Children implemented what they learned in the booth by composing their own lunch boxes.

The second two booths focused on food safety and safe grocery shopping. Students were taught how to wash their hands properly and how to store the foods in the fridge in the right order and at the proper temperature. Moreover, the booth included a couple of engaging games where they had to distinguish between spoiled food and fresh food items. The safe grocery shopping booth included a huge supermarket with a kids-size trolley as a fun demonstration of safe shopping looking for expiry dates, cracks, and unsealed products.

The experience ended with a take-home flyer discussing tips for a safe shopping experience, colorful stickers, and mini participation certificates. The fourth booth was physical activity (PA), where the students watched an informative video about the importance of PA, followed by a stimulating questionnaire.

In addition to the engaging activity where they tossed a dice and revealed a mini workout, brochures were distributed to the children, and they competed with a small football game where they had to shoot the ball in the goal. The role-playing “How to be a Dietitian” booth was a demonstration of a live act as a dietitian with one of our dietitians. Clinic material such as food models from different food groups, scales, and diet intake sheets were included to enhance their experience. At the end of the simulation, the children shared their experiences in an apple tree and made a wish for the future. The Agricultural for Healthy and Sustainable Development booth defined the term sustainability to the children and discussed water and food waste and environmentally friendly implementations. An explanation of the difference between local and imported products was established using posters, followed by an activity to distinguish between available local products. Another activity included recycling tin bins and different types of food waste and the students were encouraged to sort them away according to the packaging differences. Additional fun activities at the event included face painting with a football fan theme, a photo-booth, a word-search game, kicking a football, and giveaways. Upon leaving, in collaboration with the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, students were gifted a small plant of an edible produce to encourage planting and food sustainable practices.

Dr. Maya Bassil, the Head of the Human Nutrition Department, stated: “As part of the Public Health Campaign at QU health, and in the spirit of the world biggest football event to be held in Qatar in 2022, the Department of Human Nutrition/College of Health Sciences at Qatar University (QU) organized “Go nutritious, Go active, Choose Safe Food”. This event is much in-line with the vision and strategy of QU and QU health, as well as the national health vision of “meeting the needs of existing and future generations”. The event engaged the community through several educational and interactive stations that help inform and promote healthy daily habits and practices that are accessible and sustainable, for a healthier and more committed community.”

Dr. Hanan Abdul Rahim, Dean of the College of Health Sciences emphasized that community education was central to the mission of the College, saying, “At the College of Health Sciences, we emphasize to our students the importance of communicating health concepts to different audiences of all ages and backgrounds. I am very proud of the Human Nutrition and Food Safety students who came up with creative and fun activities to deliver important nutrition and physical activity messages in a way that engaged the school children.”