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

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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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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The New Federal School Nutrition Standards and Meal Patterns: Early Evidence Examining the Influence on Student Dietary Behavior and the School Food Environment

Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics ◽

10.1016/j.jand.2016.10.031 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 117 (2) ◽

pp. 185-191 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Karen W. Cullen ◽

Jayna M. Dave

Keyword(s):

Food Environment ◽

Dietary Behavior ◽

School Nutrition ◽

School Food ◽

Meal Patterns ◽

Early Evidence ◽

School Food Environment ◽

Nutrition Standards

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Describing Food Availability in Schools Using Different Healthy Eating Guidelines: Moving Forward with Simpler Nutrition Recommendations

Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research ◽

10.3148/cjdpr-2018-030 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 80 (1) ◽

pp. 22-29 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jessie-Lee D. McIsaac ◽

Nicole Ata ◽

Sara F.L. Kirk

Keyword(s):

Food Environment ◽

School Nutrition ◽

School Policy ◽

Classification Systems ◽

Registered Dietitians ◽

School Food ◽

Nutrition Policies ◽

Food And Beverage ◽

Extra Food ◽

School Food Environment

Purpose: Internationally, there is debate on whether a nutrient or a food-based approach to policy is more effective. This study describes the food/beverage availability in schools in Nova Scotia through a comparison of a traditional nutrient classification (“Maximum/Moderate/Minimum”), currently used in the provincial school policy and a simplified food-based system (“Core/Extra”). Methods: School food environment audits were conducted in schools (n = 25) to record the food and beverages available. Registered dietitians categorized information using both the nutrient-based and simplified food-based classification systems. Number and percent in each category were described for items. Results: Food and beverage items consisted of breakfast, lunch, snacks, beverages, and vending of which 81% were permissible by the policy, whereas only 54% were categorized as Core. Many snacks and vending items classified as Extra fell within either Moderate (45% and 35%, respectively) or Minimum (29% and 33%, respectively) categories. Conclusions: Dietitians have a role to support interpretation of classification systems for school nutrition policies. The nutrient-based classification used in the policy permitted some items not essential to a healthy diet as defined by the Extra food-based classification. However, the food-based Core/Extra categorization had less detail to classify nutrients.

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School Food Environment the Frontline for Childhood Obesity Prevention - A Mixed-Methods Study of Nutritional Competencies and Skills of School Nutrition Professionals in Nebraska

Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics ◽

10.1016/j.jand.2016.06.103 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 116 (9) ◽

pp. A31

Author(s):

Z. Rida ◽

T. Carr ◽

C. Kohnke ◽

J. Albrecht

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Childhood Obesity ◽

Obesity Prevention ◽

Food Environment ◽

School Nutrition ◽

Mixed Methods Study ◽

School Food ◽

Childhood Obesity Prevention ◽

School Food Environment ◽

Nutrition Professionals

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Associations between School Food Environments, Body Mass Index and Dietary Intakes among Regional School Students in Victoria, Australia: A Cross-Sectional Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16162916 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (16) ◽

pp. 2916 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Laura Alston ◽

Nicholas Crooks ◽

Claudia Strugnell ◽

Liliana Orellana ◽

Steven Allender ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Dietary Intake ◽

Food Environment ◽

Food Environments ◽

Dietary Intakes ◽

Healthy Weight ◽

School Students ◽

School Food ◽

School Food Environment ◽

The Relationship

(1) Background: Childhood overweight and obesity is a significant and preventable problem worldwide. School environments have been suggested to be plausible targets for interventions seeking to improve the quality of children’s dietary intake. The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which the current characteristics of the school food environment were associated with primary school students’ dietary intake and Body Mass Index (BMI) z scores in a representative sample in regional Victoria. (2) Methods: This study included 53 schools, comprising a sample of 3,496 students in year levels two (aged 7–8 years), four (9–10 years) and six (11–12 years). Year four and six students completed dietary questionnaires. Principals from each school completed a survey on school food environment characteristics. Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between students’ dietary intake and school food environment scores, controlling for confounders such as socio-economic status, school size and sex. Food environment scores were also analysed against the odds of being healthy weight (defined as normal BMI z score). (3) Results: Mixed associations were found for the relationship between students’ dietary intake and food environment scores. Meeting the guidelines for vegetable intake was not associated with food environment scores, but students were more likely (OR: 1.68 95% CI 1.26, 2.24) to meet the guidelines if they attended a large school (>300 enrolments) and were female (OR: 1.28 95% CI: 1.02, 1.59). Healthy weight was not associated with school food environment scores, but being a healthy weight was significantly associated with less disadvantage (OR: 1.24 95% CI 1.05, 1.45). Conclusion: In this study, the measured characteristics of school food environments did not have strong associations with dietary intakes or BMI among students.

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Exploring Implementation of the Ontario School Food and Beverage Policy at the Secondary-School Level: A Qualitative Study

Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research ◽

10.3148/cjdpr-2014-003 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 75 (03) ◽

pp. 118-124 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Michelle M. Vine ◽

Susan J. Elliott ◽

Kim D. Raine

Keyword(s):

Secondary School ◽

Focus Groups ◽

Low Income ◽

Local Level ◽

School Nutrition ◽

School Level ◽

Future Research ◽

School Students ◽

School Food ◽

Food And Beverage

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the implementation of the Ontario School Food and Beverage Policy (P/PM 150) from the perspective of secondary-school students. Methods: This research, informed by the ANGELO framework, undertook three focus groups with secondary students (n = 20) in 2 school boards representing both high- and low-income neighbourhoods in fall 2012. Focus groups were transcribed verbatim for subsequent analysis. Key themes were generated deductively from the research objectives and inductively as they emerged from transcripts. Results: Perceived impacts of P/PM 150 included high-priced policy-compliant food for sale, lower revenue generation, and food purchased off-campus. Limited designated eating spaces, proximity to external, nonpolicy-compliant food, and time constraints acted as key local level barriers to healthy eating. Conclusions: Pricing strategies are needed to ensure that all students have access to nutritious food, particularly in the context of vulnerable populations. Recognition of the context and culture in which school nutrition policies are being implemented is essential. Future research to explore the role of public health dietitians in school nutrition policy initiatives and how to leverage local resources and stakeholder support in low income, rural and remote populations is needed.

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Food procurement in English-language Canadian public schools: Opportunities and challenges

Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation ◽

10.15353/cfs-rcea.v6i1.265 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 75-99

Author(s):

Shawna Holmes

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

Food Environment ◽

Nutritional Quality ◽

English Language ◽

Nutrient Content ◽

Food Environments ◽

School Food ◽

Provincial Level ◽

School Food Environment

This paper examines the changes to procurement for school food environments in Canada as a response to changes to nutrition regulations at the provincial level. Interviews with those working in school food environments across Canada revealed how changes to the nutrition requirements of foods and beverages sold in schools presented opportunities to not only improve the nutrient content of the items made available in school food environments, but also to include local producers and/or school gardens in procuring for the school food environment. At the same time, some schools struggle to procure nutritionally compliant foods due to increased costs associated with transporting produce to rural, remote, or northern communities as well as logistic difficulties like spoilage. Although the nutrition regulations have facilitated improvements to food environments in some schools, others require more support to improve the overall nutritional quality of the foods and beverages available to students at school.

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