Abstract:

Introduction:
Service-Learning (S-L) is an educational approach that combines learning objectives with community service to provide a holistic educational experience and benefit the community. This project aims to train students in social responsibility, scientific communication, and professional ethics and contribute to improving population health in terms of nutrition for different populations, with a special emphasis on those at risk. From the learning point of view, it focuses on increasing students' motivation, improving their creativity, group work ability, information management and written and oral transmission, and nutritional education, adapting the selected information to the level of the population in a didactic and gamified way.

Methodology:
This S-L project started in September 2022 and is expected to end in September 2023. It was developed in the context of different subjects and degrees related to Human Nutrition and as curricular external academic internships. Students select a topic, develop educational materials or activities, and select a target population that could particularly benefit from these contents. The target population includes people of all ages, emphasising diversity, low socio-economic status, and people in any situation with high-risk nutrition, following the Sustainable Development Goals established in the 2030 Agenda. Students have two options to participate: Option 1: developing educational materials (videos, games, infographics, reels, podcasts, etc.); Option 2: presenting these materials in schools and other institutions through lectures, workshops, games, etc.); students were encouraged to choose option 2. The project evaluation includes satisfaction surveys (nutrition educational material/activity by beneficiaries); learning achievements, the project's organisation, and their self-assessment (by students); the assessment of the nutrition education material developed (by professors), through specially designed questionnaires where the higher the score, the better results.

Results:
The results presented in this work correspond to the period from September 2022 to February 2023. Until now, a total of 388 students participated in the project from four different degrees: Food Science and Technology, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Pharmacy and Double Degree in Nutrition and Pharmacy. Ninety-seven percent chose option 1, and 3% chose option 2. The main topics chosen by the students were: nutritional approach to migraine, constipation, diarrhoea, Alzheimer, gout, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia. Students have generated a total of 129 infographics; 5 videos; 2 murals and visual materials; 1 game; 7 workshops, and 2 lectures. A total of 146 beneficiaries answered the satisfaction surveys from option 1 participation and gave the project an average score of 4.65±0.60 out of 5 points. Regarding learning achievements, the project's organization and their self-assessment, 299 students (76%) answered the survey, and the average score obtained was 4.09±0.92 and 4.17±0.12 out of 5 points and 9.37±1.23 out of 10 points, respectively.

Conclusions:
According to the preliminary results obtained in the first part of the project, this S-L enhanced students' knowledge in the subjects involved and improved students' scientific communication skills and sense of social responsibility. Meanwhile, they contribute to the population's nutrition knowledge and establish healthier lifestyle habits.

Keywords:

Nutritional education, assertive communication, healthy habits, society.