The school environment and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among Guatemalan adolescents

AbstractObjectiveThe current study sought to examine Guatemalan adolescents’ consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), identify which individual-level characteristics are associated with SSB consumption and describe school characteristics that may influence students’ SSB consumption.DesignWithin this observational pilot study, a questionnaire was used to assess students’ consumption of three varieties of SSB (soft drinks, energy drinks, sweetened coffees/teas), as well as a variety of sociodemographic and behavioural characteristics. We collected built environment data to examine aspects of the school food environment. We developed Poisson regression models for each SSB variety and used descriptive analyses to characterize the sample.SettingGuatemala City, Guatemala.SubjectsGuatemalan adolescents (n1042) from four (two public, two private) secondary schools.ResultsBuilt environment data revealed that students from the two public schools lacked access to water fountains/coolers. The SSB industry had a presence in the schools through advertisements, sponsored food kiosks and products available for sale. Common correlates of SSB consumption included school type, sedentary behaviour, frequency of purchasing lunch in the cafeteria, and frequency of purchasing snacks from vending machines in school and off school property.ConclusionsGuatemalan adolescents frequently consume SSB, which may be encouraged by aspects of the school environment. Schools represent a viable setting for equitable population health interventions designed to reduce SSB consumption, including increasing access to clean drinking-water, reducing access to SSB, restricting SSB marketing and greater enforcement of existing food policies.

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Do schools in Quebec foster healthy eating? An overview of associations between school food environment and socio-economic characteristics

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980014003139 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 18 (9) ◽

pp. 1635-1646 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Pascale Morin ◽

Karine Demers ◽

Éric Robitaille ◽

Alexandre Lebel ◽

Sherri Bisset

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

Secondary Schools ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

School Environment ◽

Food Environment ◽

Primary Schools ◽

School Food ◽

Public Health Perspective ◽

School Food Environment ◽

Deprived Areas

AbstractObjectiveA school environment that encourages students to opt for food with sound nutritional value is both essential and formative in ensuring that young people adopt healthy eating habits. The present study explored the associations between the socio-economic characteristics of the school environment and the school food environment.DesignA cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2008–2009. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed on data from public primary and secondary schools.SettingQuebec, Canada. The school food offering was observed directly and systematically by trained research assistants. Interviews were conducted to fully describe food offerings in the schools and schools’ child-care services.SubjectsA two-stage stratified sampling was used to build a representative sample of 143 French-speaking public schools. The response rate was 66·2 %.ResultsThe primary and secondary schools in low-density areas were more likely to be located near diners (primary:P=0·018; secondary:P=0·007). The secondary schools in deprived areas were less likely to have a regular food committee (P=0·004), to seek student input on menu choices (P=0·001) or to have a long lunch period (P=0·010). The primary schools in deprived areas were less likely to have a food service (P=0·025) and their meal periods were shorter (P=0·033).ConclusionsThe schools in areas with lower socio-economic status provided an environment less favourable for a healthy diet. From a public health perspective, the results of this analysis could assist policy makers and managers to identify actions to support the creation of favourable school environments.

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Are closed campus policies associated with adolescent eating behaviours?

Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada ◽

10.24095/hpcdp.41.3.02 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 41 (3) ◽

pp. 73-84

Author(s):

Karen A. Patte ◽

Adam G. Cole ◽

Wei Qian ◽

Megan Magier ◽

Michelle Vine ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fast Food ◽

Health Behaviours ◽

School Nutrition ◽

School Administrator ◽

School Level ◽

Food Environments ◽

Eating Behaviours ◽

School Food ◽

Vending Machines ◽

Sweetened Beverages

Introduction The effectiveness of school nutrition regulations may be undermined by food environments surrounding schools. Given challenges in regulating external retail, some have recommended policies that ensure students are unable to leave school property during the day (closed campus policies; CCP). We aimed to examine whether CCP are associated with student eating behaviours. Methods We used student and school-administrator survey data from the 60 610 Grades 9 to 12 students and 134 Canadian secondary schools that participated in Year 7 (2018/19) of the COMPASS study. Multiple ordinal regression models tested school CCP as a predictor of weekday dietary behaviours (0–5 days), controlling for student-level (grade, sex, spending money, ethnicity) and school-level (urbanicity, province, area median household income, vending machines) covariates. Results CCP were reported by 16 schools. Students who attended CCP schools reported eating lunch purchased from fast food outlets or other restaurants and drinking sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs; soft drinks and sports drinks; sweetened coffee or tea drinks) on fewer weekdays, but consumed snacks from school vending machines on more weekdays, relative to students at open campus schools. No significant differences were observed in student reports of eating home-packed or school cafeteria lunches or snacks purchased off-campus. Conclusion CCP may help improve adolescent diets by reducing SSB and lunchtime fast food consumption on weekdays; however, students already purchasing food may shift from off-campus to within-school options, highlighting the importance of ensuring healthy school food environments and encouraging students to bring home-prepared lunches. Future studies using experimental longitudinal designs are needed to determine the effect of CCP on various health behaviours and outcomes.

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Can Eating Food Offered by Schools Have a Positive Influence on Nutritional Status of Children? An Example from Brazil

Health Behavior and Policy Review ◽

10.14485/hbpr.8.3.2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 202-211

Author(s):

Daniel Bandoni ◽

Daniela Canella

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

Nutritional Status ◽

Private Schools ◽

School Environment ◽

Food Service ◽

Positive Influence ◽

Excess Weight ◽

School Food ◽

Nutritional Status Of Children ◽

The Relationship

Objective: Considering that the school environment can impact food consumption and children’s weight, our aim was to evaluate the relationship between the origin of foods consumed at school and children’s nutritional status. Methods: We used data from the nationally representative Brazilian Household Budget Survey of children under 10 years old. The relationship between consumption of foods at school and its origin (offered by the school; taken from home; bought at the canteens) and nutritional status were evaluated using linear (BMI-for-age) and logistic (excess weight and obesity) regression models stratified by type of school (private or public). Results: A total of 95.5% of children referred consumption of food at school, independent of its origin, and 28.0% had excess weight and 10.2% had obesity. In private schools, 70.7% of children ate food taken from home, whereas in public schools, 90.6% of children ate food offered by the school through a school food service program. According to adjusted analyses related to public schools, consuming food offered by the school decreased BMI-for-age and the odds of having obesity. No differences were verified among children from private schools. Conclusion: Eating food offered by public schools seems to be better for Brazilian children’s nutritional status.

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Examining associations between school food environment characteristics and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among Canadian secondary-school students in the COMPASS study

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980018001246 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 22 (11) ◽

pp. 1928-1940 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Katelyn M Godin ◽

Ashok Chaurasia ◽

David Hammond ◽

Scott T Leatherdale

Keyword(s):

Food Environment ◽

Population Level ◽

School Nutrition ◽

School Level ◽

School Students ◽

School Food ◽

Sugar Sweetened Beverage ◽

Sweetened Beverage ◽

Vending Machines ◽

School Food Environment

AbstractObjectiveTo examine associations between Canadian adolescents’ sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and several school food environment characteristics, and to investigate differences in these characteristics between schools in provinces with voluntary (Alberta) v. mandatory (Ontario) provincial school nutrition policies.DesignWe used a questionnaire to assess the number of weekdays participants consumed three SSB categories (soft drinks, sweetened coffees/teas, energy drinks) and various sociodemographic and behavioural characteristics. We examined the in-school water fountain accessibility, vending machines’ contents and presence of various food outlets within schools’ 1 km buffer. We developed hierarchical Poisson regression models to identify associations between student- and school-level characteristics and students’ SSB outcomes.SettingAlberta and Ontario, Canada.SubjectsAdolescents (n 41 829) from eighty-nine secondary schools.ResultsCompared with their Ontarian counterparts, Albertan participants had a significantly higher rate of SSB intake across all drink categories and SSB availability was significantly greater in Albertan schools’ vending machines. Availability of sweetened coffees/teas in school vending machines and access to restaurants within the school’s 1 km buffer were associated with increased SSB intake in three of the final models. Overall, the school food environment-level characteristics examined had a modest to negligible impact on student days of SSB intake.ConclusionsWe identified that the school food environment characteristics examined here had little impact on adolescents’ days of SSB consumption. While schools should adopt or maintain a comprehensive policy approach to discourage students’ SSB intake, population-level interventions focusing on other contexts (e.g. home and community) are needed to complement existing school-based interventions.

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Do Parental Perceptions of the Nutritional Quality of School Meals Reflect the Food Environment in Public Schools?

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph182010764 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (20) ◽

pp. 10764

Author(s):

Sarah Martinelli ◽

Francesco Acciai ◽

Michael J. Yedidia ◽

Punam Ohri-Vachaspati

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

Food Environment ◽

Nutritional Quality ◽

Multivariable Analysis ◽

Parental Perceptions ◽

School Meals ◽

School Food ◽

Vending Machines ◽

Reported Data

(1) Background: It is unknown whether parents’ perception of school meals, a determinant of student meal participation, align with the nutritional quality of meals served in schools. This study compares the healthfulness of foods offered in schools with parental perception of school meals at those same schools. (2) Method: Parents were asked to rate the healthfulness of school meals at their child’s school. Data on the types of foods offered were collected from public schools in four cities in New Jersey and matched with parent-reported data. Measures were developed to capture the presence of healthy and unhealthy items in the National School Lunch Program and the presence of a la carte offerings as well as vending machines. Multivariable analysis examined the association between parental perceptions of school meals and the school food measures after adjusting for covariates. (3) Results: Measures of the school food environment and parental perceptions were available for 890 pre-K to 12th grade students. No significant associations were observed between parental perceptions and food environment measures when examined one by one or in a comprehensive model. (4) Conclusions: Parents’ perception of the healthfulness of meals served do not align with the nutritional quality of foods offered at schools.

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Examining teachers’ opinions regarding the organizational forgiveness in reference to several variablesÖğretmenlerin örgütsel affediciliğe ilişkin görüşlerinin çeşitli değişkenlere göre incelenmesi

Journal of Human Sciences ◽

10.14687/jhs.v13i3.3848 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 4168

Author(s):

K. Funda Nayır ◽

Yasemin Karaman Kepenekçi

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

Interpersonal Relationships ◽

School Environment ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

School Type ◽

Length Of Service ◽

Subject Field ◽

Several Variables ◽

Teacher Views ◽

Qualitative Part

The aim of this study is to reveal the teacher views on forgiveness behavior in their interpersonal relationships with other teachers at school and analyze their views in reference to several variables (gender, subject field, seniority, school type, length of service at school and number of students at school). In the study, “Convergent parallel design”, a mixed research method was used. The participants in the quantitative part of the study were comprised of 252 teachers working at public schools in Ankara central district during the 2014-2015 Academic Year. The participants in the qualitative part of the study were comprised of eight teachers that are working in different schools and volunteered to participate in the study. Arithmetic mean, standard deviation, t-test and ANOVA were used to analyze the quantitative data. Descriptive analysis method was used for the qualitative part of the study. As a conclusion, while teachers see being forgiving as a virtue and a necessary behavior to both ensure efficiency within the organization and prevent a negative school environment, they believe that forgiveness depends on some certain conditions. However, the teacher views vary based on school type and subject field only in the dimension of justification of forgiveness and do not vary significantly based on any variable in other dimensions. ÖzetBu çalışmanın amacı öğretmenlerin çalıştıkları okulda diğer öğretmenlerle (kişilerarası) ilişkilerinde affedicilik davranışına ilişkin görüşlerini ortaya koymak ve bu görüşlerini çeşitli değişkenlere (cinsiyet, branş, kıdem, okul türü, okulda çalışma süresi ve okuldaki öğrenci sayısı) göre değerlendirmektir. Araştırmada karma yöntem araştırmalarından “yakınsayan paralel desen” kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın nicel kısmının katılımcılarını 2014-2015 Eğitim-Öğretim yılında Ankara il merkezindeki kamu okullarında görevli 252 öğretmen, nitel kısmının katılımcılarını farklı okullarda görev yapan ve araştırmaya katılmaya gönüllü sekiz öğretmen oluşturmuştur. Nicel verilerin analizinde aritmetik ortalama, standart sapma ve t-testi ve ANOVA nitel verilerin analizinde betimsel analiz yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Sonuç olarak öğretmenler affedici olmayı hem bir erdem hem de örgüt içinde verimliliği sağlamak ve olumsuz okul ortamını engellemek için gerekli bir davranış olarak görürken; affetmenin bir takım şartlara bağlı olarak gerçekleşebileceğini düşünmektedirler. Bununla birlikte, öğretmenlerin görüşleri sadece affediciliği gerekçelendirme boyutunda okul türü ve öğretmenin branşına göre anlamlı farklılık göstermekte; diğer boyutlarda hiçbir değişkene göre anlamlı farklılık göstermemektedir.

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School Nutrition Policy

ICAN Infant Child & Adolescent Nutrition ◽

10.1177/1941406412458314 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 4 (5) ◽

pp. 276-282 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Chad D. Jensen ◽

Amy F. Sato ◽

C. Meghan McMurtry ◽

Chantelle N. Hart ◽

Elissa Jelalian

Keyword(s):

Rhode Island ◽

Weight Status ◽

School Nutrition ◽

Weight Category ◽

Effect Change ◽

Individual Level ◽

Vending Machines ◽

Sweetened Beverages ◽

Effective Interventions ◽

And Gender

Background. School policies limiting the availability of sweetened beverages are often considered to be effective interventions for improving children’s diet and weight-related health. This study was designed to examine the effectiveness of the Rhode Island Healthier Beverage Policy in reducing consumption of unhealthy beverages and in producing changes in children’s weight status. Method. Students in 2 public middle schools in Rhode Island completed self-reported measures of dietary intake and were measured for height and weight prior to and 1 year following the implementation of a state-mandated healthier beverage policy. An inventory of beverages available in vending machines after the beverage policy was implemented provided a measure of adherence with the statewide policy. Results. Both surveyed schools demonstrated compliance with the beverage policy (ie, greater than 70% of available beverages complied). Self-reported consumption of sweetened beverages did not change significantly following policy implementation. Neither average BMI percentile for age and gender nor frequency of children in each weight category changed significantly 1 year after the policy was implemented. Conclusions. Although the healthier beverage policy was effectively implemented, it did not result in changes in self-reported sweetened beverage consumption or weight status 1 year later. Additional school policy and individual-level changes appear to be necessary to effect change in weight and dietary outcomes for children.

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Changes in Population-Level Consumption of Taxed and Non-Taxed Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSB) after Implementation of SSB Excise Tax in Thailand: A Prospective Cohort Study

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12113294 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 3294

Author(s):

Sirinya Phulkerd ◽

Natjera Thongcharoenchupong ◽

Aphichat Chamratrithirong ◽

Rossarin Soottipong Gray ◽

Piyada Prasertsom

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Population Level ◽

Thai Population ◽

Sugar Sweetened Beverage ◽

Excise Tax ◽

Individual Level ◽

Socioeconomic Groups ◽

Sweetened Beverages ◽

The Difference ◽

The Unemployed

Background: Thailand has implemented a sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) excise tax since September 2017, but questions remain about changes in individual-level SSB consumption after tax implementation. This study aimed to analyze the change in taxed and non-taxed SSB consumption in the Thai population. Method: This cohort study was carried out in 2018 and 2019. A total of 5594 persons who participated in both years were included in the analysis. Descriptive and t-test analyses were carried out in order to identify the significance of the difference between taxed and non-taxed SSB consumption in 2018 and 2019. Results: A lower mean ratio of average taxed SSBs consumed to average non-taxed SSBs consumed was found to be statistically significant (p = 0.001). That is, the decline in taxed SSB consumption is significantly greater than that of the non-taxed consumption. The greater reduction in taxed SSB consumption than the non-taxed SSB consumption was found to be significant among males, older persons, the lower-income population, and the unemployed. Conclusions: Overall, the current SSB tax has the capacity to successfully discourage consumption of SSBs with high sugar level. The decline in SSB consumption is, however, not found across all socioeconomic groups. Thresholds for SSB-tiered tax structure may have to be reviewed.

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Associations between the perceived presence of vending machines and food and beverage logos in schools and adolescents’ diet and weight status

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980011000449 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 14 (8) ◽

pp. 1350-1356 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Leia M Minaker ◽

Kate E Storey ◽

Kim D Raine ◽

John C Spence ◽

Laura E Forbes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

School Environment ◽

Weight Status ◽

Healthy Weight ◽

School Food ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

General Hypothesis ◽

Vending Machines ◽

Food And Beverage ◽

Salty Snack ◽

Snack Consumption

AbstractObjectiveThe increasing prevalence of obesity among youth has elicited calls for schools to become more active in promoting healthy weight. The present study examined associations between various aspects of school food environments (specifically the availability of snack- and beverage-vending machines and the presence of snack and beverage logos) and students’ weight status, as well as potential influences of indices of diet and food behaviours.DesignA cross-sectional, self-administered web-based survey. A series of multinomial logistic regressions with generalized estimating equations (GEE) were constructed to examine associations between school environment variables (i.e. the reported presence of beverage- and snack-vending machines and logos) and self-reported weight- and diet-related behaviours.SettingSecondary schools in Alberta, Canada.SubjectsA total of 4936 students from grades 7 to 10.ResultsThe presence of beverage-vending machines in schools was associated with the weight status of students. The presence of snack-vending machines and logos was associated with students’ frequency of consuming vended goods. The presence of snack-vending machines and logos was associated with the frequency of salty snack consumption.ConclusionsThe reported presence of snack- and beverage-vending machines and logos in schools is related to some indices of weight status, diet and meal behaviours but not to others. The present study supported the general hypothesis that the presence of vending machines in schools may affect students’ weight through increased consumption of vended goods, but notes that the frequency of ‘junk’ food consumption does not seem to be related to the presence of vending machines, perhaps reflecting the ubiquity of these foods in the daily lives of students.

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The food environment of Brazilian public and private schools

Cadernos de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/0102-311x00014918 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 34 (12) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ariene Silva do Carmo ◽

Maíra Macário de Assis ◽

Cristiane de Freitas Cunha ◽

Tatiana Resende Prado Rangel de Oliveira ◽

Larissa Loures Mendes

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

Private Schools ◽

School Environment ◽

Food Environment ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

School Food ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Public And Private ◽

Street Vendors

Abstract: This study’s aim was to characterize the food environment of Brazilian public and private schools. This was a national school-based cross-sectional study with 1,247 schools - among which 81.09% were public and 18.91% were private - in 124 Brazilian municipalities. The data originated from the Questionnaire on Aspects of the School Environment, used in the Study of Cardiovascular Risk in Adolescents (ERICA) in 2013 and 2014. Data analysis was conducted in 2017. The chi-square test was used to compare proportions. A greater proportion of public schools offered school meals (98.15%) in comparison to private schools (8.07%) (p < 0.001). The internal sale of food and beverages was more prevalent in private schools (97.75% vs. 45.06%, p < 0.001). Also, sale and advertisement of processed and ultra-processed foods (sodas, cookies, savory snacks, sandwiches and pizza), as well as the presence of vending machines for industrialized products (18.02% vs. 4%) (p < 0.001) were more common in private schools. Street vendors at the school gate or surroundings were identified in 41.32% of the public schools and 47.75% of the private schools (p > 0.05). These findings reveal the predominance of obesogenic environments mainly in private schools, and can contribute to the design of Brazilian public policies to promote a healthy school food environment.

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