Effect of an Educational Intervention on Gut Health Knowledge among Undergraduate Students: A Comparative Pre-Post Study

Abstract

Understanding gut health has become increasingly important due to its close association with digestion, immunity, metabolism, and overall well-being. The level of awareness related to gut health is not uniform among young adults and tends to vary across different academic disciplines. This study aimed to assess baseline gut health knowledge and evaluate the impact of an educational intervention among undergraduate students. A comparative pre-post interventional study was conducted among 400 undergraduate students aged 18–21 years at Dr. N.G.P. Arts and Science College, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. The sample included 100 students each from Biosciences, Life Sciences, Computer Science, and Commerce streams. Gut health knowledge was assessed using a structured questionnaire consisting of 30 multiple-choice questions covering seven domains, including educational pamphlet focusing on key gut health concepts, dietary practices, and lifestyle modifications was provided as the intervention. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were conducted to measure changes in knowledge levels. Pre-intervention findings showed higher baseline knowledge among Biosciences students (45.5%) and Life Sciences students (37.2%), while Computer Science (32.3%) and Commerce students (28.0%) demonstrated lower awareness. Post-intervention results revealed significant improvement across all academic streams, with knowledge scores increasing to 96.5% in Biosciences, 98.3% in Life Sciences, 99.5% in Computer Science, and 98.7% in Commerce students. The greatest relative improvement was observed among Computer Science and Commerce students. The findings suggest that structured nutrition education can effectively improve gut health awareness among undergraduate students and may serve as a practical strategy for strengthening preventive health initiatives in academic settings.