Strategies to reduce plate waste in primary schools – experimental evaluation

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 1517-1525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margarida Liz Martins ◽  
Sara SP Rodrigues ◽  
Luís M Cunha ◽  
Ada Rocha
Keyword(s):  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Group Analysis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Medium Term ◽  
Short Term ◽  
School Lunches ◽  
Plate Waste ◽  
The City

AbstractObjectiveTo determine and compare the effect of two interventions in reducing the plate waste of school lunches.DesignA between-group analysis was conducted among children from three primary schools: (i) a group receiving intervention A, designed for children and focusing on nutrition education and food waste; (ii) a group receiving intervention B, intended for teachers and focusing on the causes and consequences of food waste; and (iii) a control group with no intervention. For each child, physical weighing of individual meals and leftovers was performed on three non-consecutive weeks at baseline (T0), 1 week (T1, short term) and 3 months (T2, medium term) following the intervention. Plate waste was recorded for a total of 1742 lunches during 14 d over eight different menus.SettingPortuguese public primary schools in the city of Porto.SubjectsAll fourth-grade children (n 212) attending the three preselected schools.ResultsAfter intervention A focusing on nutrition education designed for children, a decrease in soup waste was observed compared with the control group. The effect was greater at T1 (−11·9 (se 2·8) %; P<0·001) than at T2 (−5·8 (se 4·4) %; P=0·103). The plate waste of identical main dishes decreased strongly at T1 (−33·9 (se 4·8) %; P<0·001). However, this effect was not found at T2 (−13·7 (se 3·2) %; P<0·001). After intervention B involving teachers, plate waste decreased at T2 (−5·5 (se 1·9) % for soup; −5·4 (se 2·4) % for identical main dishes).ConclusionsNutrition education designed for children was more effective in the short than the medium term. Thus, this kind of intervention was not effective in reducing food waste in the medium term. In contrast, an intervention focusing on teachers revealed better results in the medium term than in the short term.

scholarly journals Effect of Resisted Sprint and Plyometric Training on Lower Limb Functional Performance in Collegiate Male Football Players: A Randomised Control Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 6702
Author(s):  
Shahnaz Hasan ◽  
Gokulakannan Kandasamy ◽  
Danah Alyahya ◽  
Asma Alonazi ◽  
Azfar Jamal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Performance ◽  
Group Analysis ◽  
Training Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Football Players ◽  
Plyometric Training ◽  
Sprint Training ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Hop Test ◽  
Collegiate Football

The main objectives of this study were to evaluate the short-term effects of resisted sprint and plyometric training on sprint performance together with lower limb physiological and functional performance in collegiate football players. Ninety collegiate football players participated in this three-arm, parallel group randomized controlled trial study. Participants were randomly divided into a control group and two experimental groups: resisted sprint training (RST) (n = 30), plyometric training (PT) (n = 30), and a control group (n = 30). Participants received their respective training program for six weeks on alternate days. The primary outcome measures were a knee extensor strength test (measured by an ISOMOVE dynamometer), a sprint test and a single leg triple hop test. Measurements were taken at baseline and after 6 weeks post-training. Participants, caregivers, and those assigning the outcomes were blinded to the group assignment. A mixed design analysis of variance was used to compare between groups, within-group and the interaction between time and group. A within-group analysis revealed a significant difference (p < 0.05) when compared to the baseline with the 6 weeks post-intervention scores for all the outcomes including STN (RST: d = 1.63; PT: d = 2.38; Control: d = 2.26), ST (RST: d = 1.21; PT: d = 1.36; Control: d = 0.38), and SLTHT (RST: d = 0.76; PT: d = 0.61; Control: d = 0.18). A sub-group analysis demonstrated an increase in strength in the plyometric training group (95% CI 14.73 to 15.09, p = 0.00), an increase in the single leg triple hop test in the resisted sprint training group (95% CI 516.41 to 538.4, p = 0.05), and the sprint test was also improved in both experimental groups (95% CI 8.54 to 8.82, p = 0.00). Our findings suggest that, during a short-term training period, RST or PT training are equally capable of enhancing the neuromechanical capacities of collegiate football players. No adverse events were reported by the participants.

scholarly journals Three-month and six-month outcomes of patients with COVID-19 associated hyperinflammation treated with short-term immunosuppressive therapy: follow-up of the CHIC study

RMD Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. e001906
Author(s):  
Marlou THF Janssen ◽  
Sofia Ramiro ◽  
Rémy LM Mostard ◽  
Cesar Magro-Checa ◽  
Robert BM Landewé
Keyword(s):  
Immunosuppressive Therapy ◽  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Normal Population ◽  
Immunosuppressive Treatment ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Medium Term ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Function Tests ◽  
Patient Reported

ObjectivesTo prospectively investigate differences in medium-term patient-reported outcome measures and objective functional outcome measures, between patients receiving and those not receiving intensive short-term immunosuppressive therapy for coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19)-associated hyperinflammation.MethodsPatients previously included in the COVID-19 High-intensity Immunosuppression in Cytokine storm syndrome (CHIC) study who received immunosuppressive treatment versus standard of care for COVID-19-associated hyperinflammation were invited for follow-up at 3 and 6 months after hospitalisation. At both visits, patients were assessed by a pulmonologist, completed quality of life (QoL) questionnaires and performed pulmonary and exercise function tests. At 3 months, patients additionally completed questionnaires on dyspnoea, anxiety, depression and trauma. Outcomes were compared between patients receiving and those not receiving intensive short-term immunosuppressive therapy for COVID-19-associated hyperinflammation.Results131 (66.5%) patients survived hospitalisation due to COVID-19-associated hyperinflammation and 118 (90.1%) were included. QoL questionnaires, pulmonary- and exercise function tests showed improvement between 3 and 6 months after discharge, which was similar in both groups. Assessed patients reached levels that were close to levels predicted from the normal population. In contrast, diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide was disturbed in both groups: 69.6% predicted (SD 16.2) and 73.5% predicted (SD 16.5) in control group and treated group, respectively.ConclusionsNo differences in medium-term outcomes are demonstrated in survivors of COVID-19-associated hyperinflammation treated or not treated with methylprednisolone with or without tocilizumab during the acute phase. Short-term benefits of this therapy, as showed in the baseline CHIC study analysis, are thus not hampered by medium-term adverse events.

scholarly journals Nutrition education improves knowledge and BMI-for-age in Ghanaian school-aged children

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 927-941
Author(s):  
Reginald A Annan ◽  
Charles Apprey ◽  
Godwin O Agyemang ◽  
Diane M Tuekpe ◽  
Odeafo Asamoah-Boakye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Nutrition Knowledge ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Education Group ◽  
Children Nutrition

Background: Adequate nutrition is required for growth and development in children. This study tested the effectiveness of nutrition education on knowledge and BMI-for-age (BFA) of school-aged children in the Kumasi Metropolis. Methods: Children, aged 9-13 years old were recruited from ten randomly selected primary schools in the Metropolis. The schools were randomly allocated into 3 groups: nutrition education (3 schools), physical activity (PA) education (3 schools), both interventions (2 schools), or control (2 schools). Following a baseline nutrition and PA knowledge and status assess- ment in 433 children, twice-monthly nutrition and PA education and demonstrations were carried out for 6 months, followed by a post-intervention assessment. Results: PA and nutrition knowledge improved in all groups (P<0.001); the highest improvement was among those who received both interventions (31.0%), followed by the nutrition education group (29.8%), and the least, the control group (19.1%). Overall, BFA improved by +0.36, from baseline (-0.26) to end of the intervention (+0.10, P<0.001). Within the groups, the nutrition group (+0.65, P<.001) had the highest improvement, then, both the intervention group (+0.27, P<0.001), the PA group (+0.23, P<0.001) and lastly, the control group (+0.18, P=0.001). Conclusion: Nutrition education could improve knowledge and BMI-for-age in school-aged children in Ghana. Keywords: School-aged children; nutrition education; BMI-for-age; nutrition knowledge; basic school.

scholarly journals Healthy Planet, Healthy Youth: A Food Systems Education and Promotion Intervention to Improve Adolescent Diet Quality and Reduce Food Waste

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Pflugh Prescott ◽  
Xanna Burg ◽  
Jessica Jarick Metcalfe ◽  
Alexander E. Lipka ◽  
Cameron Herritt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Science Teachers ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Sustainable Food Systems ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Plate Waste ◽  
The Impact

Emerging evidence suggests a link between young people’s interest in alternative food production practices and dietary quality. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a student-driven sustainable food systems education and promotion intervention on adolescent school lunch selection, consumption, and waste behaviors. Sixth grade science teachers at two middle schools (n = 268 students) implemented a standards-based curriculum on sustainable food systems, addressing the environmental impacts of food choices and food waste. The cumulating curriculum activity required the 6th grade students to share their food systems knowledge with their 7th and 8th grade counterparts (n = 426) through a cafeteria promotional campaign to discourage food waste. School-wide monthly plate waste assessments were used to evaluate changes in vegetable consumption and overall plate waste using a previously validated digital photography method. At baseline, the intervention students consumed significantly less vegetables relative to the control group (47.1% and 71.8% of vegetables selected, respectively (p = 0.006). This disparity was eliminated after the intervention with the intervention group consuming 69.4% and the control consuming 68.1% of selected vegetables (p = 0.848). At five months follow up, the intervention group wasted significantly less salad bar vegetables compared to the control group (24.2 g and 50.1 g respectively (p = 0.029). These findings suggest that food systems education can be used to promote improved dietary behaviors among adolescent youth.

scholarly journals Health and Nutrition Education in Elementary Schools: Changes in health knowledge, nutrient intakes and physical activity over a six year period

1999 ◽  
Vol 2 (3a) ◽  
pp. 445-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yannis Manios ◽  
Anthony Kafatos
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Nutrition Intervention ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Nutrient Intakes ◽  
Health And Nutrition

AbstractObjective:To examine the effects of a health and nutrition intervention, implemented in primary schools of Crete, on health knowledge, nutrient intakes and physical activity of the intervention population.Methods:The intervention group consisted of 24 schools while the control group consisted of 16 schools. The overall duration of the intervention was six years, while the topics of the intervention primarily focused on children' dietary habits, physical activity and fitness.Results:After the completion of the intervention period, the changes observed in health knowledge, nutrient intakes and physical activity were in favour of the intervention group pupils.Conclusion:The encouraging findings of the study indicate the potential of the programme in health promotion and disease prevention without involving substantial new school resources and time.

Double Literacy Effects on Language and Reading Skills in Italian–English Primary School Children

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Costa ◽  
Maria Teresa Guasti ◽  
Stefania Sharley
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Reading Skills ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Reading Speed ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory

Major concerns still surround literacy education in a foreign language during primary school. In this study, we aim to establish (1) whether bilinguals perform worse in Italian literacy tests than monolinguals; (2) whether literacy skills transfer from Italian to English. We tested 97 Italian–English bilingual first, third and fifth graders (attending two bilingual primary schools in Italy, with a simultaneous 50:50 immersion programme) and a control group of 40 monolingual Italian pupils in grades 1 and 3. All participants were tested in Italian, measuring the following skills: vocabulary, phonological awareness, reading proficiency and verbal short-term memory. Bilingual participants – who had been exposed to Italian since birth and to English within the first three years of their lives – were also tested on the same measures in English. The results showed that bilingual first graders outperformed their monolingual peers in verbal short-term memory, thus revealing a possible cognitive advantage in the early stage of literacy acquisition. Monolingual and bilingual firstand third graders did not differ in reading speed. The two groups made an almost similar number of errors, but the small difference turned out to be statistically significant. Bilingual subjects’ reading attainment was found to be within monolingual normal limits in both languages on all measures except for English reading comprehension, which, together with English vocabulary, was found to be below the English norm. Aside from reading comprehension, on all other measures bilingual children’s performance in Italian correlated with their performance in English, suggesting the presence of cross-linguistic transfer of language and reading skills. 

The Development and Evaluation of a Life Skills Programme for Young Adult Offenders

2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (10) ◽  
pp. 3077-3096
Author(s):  
Jacques Jordaan ◽  
Roelf Beukes ◽  
Karel Esterhuyse
Keyword(s):  
Young Adult ◽  
Adult Male ◽  
Life Skills ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Medium Term ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Male Offenders ◽  
Young Adult Male ◽  
Adult Male Offenders

The purpose of this research project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a Life Skills programme for young adult male long-term offenders with the aim of improving their life skills that, in turn, could enable them to adjust more effectively in the correctional environment. Experimental research was used to investigate the effectiveness of the programme. In this study, 96 literate young adult male offenders between the ages of 21 and 25 years, with long sentences, were selected randomly. The participants were assigned randomly into an experimental and a control group. The Solomon four-group design was utilized to control for the effect of pretest sensitization. The measurements of the effectiveness of the programme were conducted before the programme commenced, directly (short term) after, 3 months (medium term) after, and 6 months (long term) after. The findings indicated that the programme had limited success in equipping the offenders with the necessary skills crucial to their survival in a correctional centre. The programme did, however, have significant effects, especially on problem solving and anger management in the short and medium term. These improvements were not long lived.

scholarly journals Effect of a puzzle on the process of students' learning about cardiac physiology

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 425-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lais Tono Cardozo ◽  
Aline Soares Miranda ◽  
Maria José Costa Sampaio Moura ◽  
Fernanda Klein Marcondes
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Cycle ◽  
Lower Number ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Cardiac Physiology ◽  
Medium Term ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Class 1 ◽  
Formed Part ◽  
Physiology Students ◽  
Positive Effect

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of using a puzzle to learn about cardiac physiology. Students were divided into control and game groups. In class 1, the control group had a 2-h theoretical class about cardiac physiology, including a detailed description of the phases of the cardiac cycle, whereas the game group had a 50-min theoretical class without the description of the cardiac cycle. In class 2, the control group did an assessment exercise before an activity with the cardiac puzzle and the game group answered questions after the above-mentioned activity. While solving the puzzle, the students had to describe the cardiac cycle by relating the concepts of heart morphology and physiology. To evaluate short-term learning, the number of wrong answers and grades in the assessment exercise were compared between the control and game groups. To evaluate medium-term learning, we compared the grades obtained by students of the control and game groups in questions about cardiac physiology that formed part of the academic exam. In the assessment exercise, the game group presented a lower number of errors and higher score compared with the control group. In the academic exam, applied after both groups had used the puzzle, there was no difference in the scores obtained by the control and game groups in questions about cardiac physiology. These results showed a positive effect of the puzzle on students' learning about cardiac physiology compared with those not using the puzzle.

School canteens and the food waste challenge: Which public initiatives can help?

2021 ◽  
pp. 0734242X2198941
Author(s):  
Barbara Pancino ◽  
Clara Cicatiello ◽  
Luca Falasconi ◽  
Matteo Boschini
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Organic Waste ◽  
Preventive Measure ◽  
Plate Waste ◽  
School Foodservice ◽  
Direct Assessment ◽  
Preventive Actions ◽  
Total Food ◽  
Major Target

Foodservice is estimated to produce 12% of the total food waste in Europe, and it is a major target for policies against food waste. The amount of food lost during foodservice operations has been assessed in the literature as a figure ranging from 10% to 41% of the quantity prepared in the kitchen, either as non-served food or as plate waste. In this paper, a systematization of the current initiatives against food waste in EU school foodservice is provided. This background is used as a base to discuss the results of a direct assessment of food waste conducted in 78 primary schools in Italy, where 28.6% of the food prepared was not consumed by the diners. Part of it was saved for reuse, while the rest was disposed and treated as organic waste or, to a lesser extent, as unsorted waste. The flows of food waste, represented by a Sankey diagram, show that some actions may be implemented in order to save more food from disposal; for example, implementing donation programmes for non-served food or using doggy bags to avoid the disposal of plate waste. A greater effort shall be put on preventive actions, aimed at avoiding the generation of food waste; in this sense regular monitoring at schools may act as a first preventive measure as it can increase the awareness of students, teachers and foodservice staff over the issue of food waste.

scholarly journals Validasi Modul “Kelasku Menyatu Tanpa Batas” untuk Mengubah Sikap Guru terhadap Pendidikan Inklusif

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-24
Author(s):  
Tia Inayatillah ◽  
Budi Andayani
Keyword(s):  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Untreated Control ◽  
Group Analysis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Untreated Control Group ◽  
Control Group Design ◽  
Group Design ◽  
Post Test

AbstractThe implementation of inclusive education in Yogyakarta has yet to reflect the granting of rights and equal access to education for students with disabilities. The misconception of inclusive term leads to negative attitudes of teachers then becomes the barriers of successful inclusive teaching. This research aims to validate “Kelasku Menyatu Tanpa Batas” module to change teacher’s attitude toward inclusive education. This research will be done through a quasi experiment using the design named Untreated Control Group Design with Dependent pre-test and post-test samples.The subjects are 18 teachers of primary schools in Yogyakarta which will be divided into 2 groups, the experiment group and the control group. Analysis will be held through Man-Withney U Test statistical test. The finding (Z= -3,054; p<0,01) shows that “Kelasku Menyatu Tanpa Batas” training could change teacher’s attitude towards inclusive education.AbstrakImplementasi pendidikan inklusif di Kota Yogyakarta masih belum mencerminkan pemberian hak dan akses pendidikan yang sesuai dengan siswa yang memiliki disabilitas. Miskonsepsi terhadap prinsip inklusi ditemukan menjadi penghambat kesuksesan inklusi dan penyebab berkembangnya belief yang membentuk sikap negatif guru terhadap pendidikan inklusif. Penelitian ini bertujuan menguji validitas modul “Kelasku Menyatu Tanpa Batas” dalam mengubah sikap guru terhadap pendidikan inklusif. Penelitian dilakukan melalui eksperimen kuasi menggunakan desain Untreated Control Group Design with Dependent pre-test and post-test samples. Subjek adalah 18 orang guru SD di Kota Yogyakarta yang terbagi kedalam dua kelompok, yaitu kelompok eksperimen dan kelompok kontrol. Analisis dilakukan melalui uji statistika Man-Withney U Test (Z= -3,054; p<0,01) menunjukkan bahwa terdapat perbedaan yang signifikan antara kelompok kontrol dan eksperimen setelah mendapat perlakuan. Dari hasil tersebut dapat disimpulkan bahwa pelatihan “Kelasku Menyatu Tanpa Batas” teruji valid dapat mengubah sikap guru terhadap pendidikan inklusif. 

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