Informing Brain Health Behaviour Choices: The Efficacy of a High-School Brain Awareness Pilot Study

Abstract

Aims: Lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise significantly impact mental wellbeing and this is particularly so during the period of adolescence. The aim of the current study was to determine whether neuroscience concepts could be introduced to the classroom in a manner that improved high school student awareness of how health behaviour choices impact brain health. Study Design: This study was a quantitative study that measured 47 assertions relating to brain health and neuroscience pre and post an interactive seminar. Place and Duration of Study: A Victorian high school in Geelong, Australia. Participation in the seminar took approximately 100 minutes, including time to complete the questionnaires. Methodology: The current study trialed a ‘Brain Basics’ educational program in a Victorian high-school. The neuro-educative interactive seminar was presented to 48female year 11 students. The level of student understanding, interest and enjoyment was assessed prior to and following an interactive seminar. Results: Student understanding of brain health significantly improved in 31 out of 47 questionnaire items and interest and enjoyment were highly rated. Conclusion: This supports the notion that basic neuroscience concepts can be introduced into Victorian schools to increase brain health awareness of our youth during this criticaltime of brain development.