scholarly journals Promoting healthy foods among urban school children in Bangladesh: A qualitative inquiry of the challenges and opportunities

Author(s):  
A M Rumayan Hasan ◽  
George Smith ◽  
Md Harunor Rashid ◽  
Mohammad Abdus Selim ◽  
Sabrina Rasheed

Abstract Background Food habits are directly associated with overweight and obesity in adolescence and adulthood. Urban Bangladeshi school children tend to consume foods dense in calories and few fruits and vegetables. The current study explored the barriers and opportunities for promoting healthy diets in households and schools from the perspective of teachers and parents in urban Bangladesh.Methods We conducted 14 key informant interviews with school teachers and 6 focus group interviews with mothers of school children. We used inductive thematic analysis manually.Results Schools were important for development of food preferences, however, most school cafeterias provided foods based on profit rather than health considerations. Mothers were generally concerned about chemicals added to raw foods in markets which led to limited fruit and vegetable consumption. Mothers, especially those who were employed, struggled to have time to prepare healthy foods for their children. Foods prepared outside home have acquired many meanings beyond convenience.Conclusions There were social, cultural, and environmental challenges to promoting healthy foods to children. It is important to formulate policies and guidance to create a supportive environment for healthy foods in schools. As processed foods and foods prepared outside the home have become an important part of the urban food culture, it is also important to develop and implement strict regulations and guidelines for production, processing, and distribution. It is also important to educate consumers about identifying and choosing healthy foods. Implementing existing laws related to food safety should also boost the population’s confidence in the food system.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Rumayan Hasan ◽  
George Smith ◽  
Md Harunor Rashid ◽  
Mohammad Abdus Selim ◽  
Sabrina Rasheed

Abstract Background In Bangladesh overweight and obesity among urban school children are on the rise. Urban school children tend to consume foods dense in calories and few fruits and vegetables which is associated with overweight and obesity. The current study explored the barriers and opportunities for promoting healthy diets among school children from the perspective of teachers and parents in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods We conducted 14 key informant interviews with teachers and principals, six focus group discussions with 31 mothers of school children (5 to 15 year old) and 14 structured observations of the school food environment. Inductive thematic analysis was performed manually. Results Schools were important for development of food preferences of children, however, most school cafeterias provided foods based on profit rather than health considerations. A shift in food culture resulted in making eating out acquire many meanings beyond convenience. Mothers, especially those who were employed, struggled to prepare healthy foods due to time pressure. Mothers were generally concerned about chemicals added to raw foods in markets which led to limited fruit and vegetable consumption. Conclusions There were many challenges to promoting healthy foods to school children within and outside the school. It is important to formulate policies and guidance to create a supportive environment for healthy foods in and in the proximity of schools. It is also important to educate consumers about identifying and choosing healthy foods. Laws related to food safety should be adequately implemented to boost the population’s confidence in safety of available healthy foods in the food system.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Joreintje Dingena Mackenbach

Abstract I reflect upon the potential reasons why American low-income households do not spend an optimal proportion of their food budgets on fruits and vegetables, even though this would allow them to meet the recommended levels of fruit and vegetable consumption. Other priorities than health, automatic decision-making processes and access to healthy foods play a role, but solutions for the persistent socio-economic inequalities in diet should be sought in the wider food system which promotes cheap, mass-produced foods. I argue that, ultimately, healthy eating is not a matter of prioritisation by individual households but by policymakers.


Author(s):  
Irma Nuraeni ◽  
Hamam Hadi ◽  
Yhona Paratmanitya

ABSTRACT<br /><br />Background: Curently, Indonesia has double burden problems nutrition, such as malnutrition and over nutrition. Overnutrition or obesity are not just happening in adults only, but also can occur in childhood. If the problem of obesity in children and adolescents cannot be resolved, it can be infl uenced obese in adulthood then potentially to have noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Prevalence of obesity in<br />children at Yogyakarta Province increases year by year (1;2). Obesity was caused by an imbalance in energy intake and<br />energy expenditure. Children tend to consume high energy-dense, sweet  taste meal, high fat foods and less dietary fiber from fruits and vegetables. Several studies showed that there was increasing in risk of obesity from someone who have less consumption of fruits and vegetables.<br /><br />Objective:<br />To determine differences in frequency and amount of fruit and vegetable consumption in elementary school children obese and non-obese at Yogyakarta Municipality and  District of Bantul and to find out the risk of obesity in children who have less consumption of fruits and vegetables. <br /><br />Methods:<br />The study design was a case-control, 244 samples as cases (obese children) and 244 controls (non-obesechildren). The subject of this study was children aged 6-12 years who were seated in class 1 to class 5 elementary schools at Yogyakarta Municipality and District of Bantul. Identity data obtained from a structured questionnaire respondent, frequency and amount of fruit and vegetable consumption were taken from Semi Quantitative Food Frequency Questioner(SQFFQ).Then the results analyzed using statistical test.<br /><br />Results: <br />Statistical test showed that there were significant differences (p&lt;0,05) in the frequency and number of fruit and vegetable consumption in obese and non-obese elementary school children at Yogyakarta Municipality and District of Bantul. Multivariate analysis after controlled by gender and energy intake, showed that obese  children who rarely consuming fruits (&lt;7 times/week) (OR=2,24, 95%CI: 1.53-3.28), rarely consuming vegetables (&lt;7 times/week) (OR=2,52, 95%CI: 1,70-3,73), and consuming fruits and vegetables less than 5 servings/day (equivalent to 400 g/day) (OR= 4,59, 95%CI:2,11-10,00) were greater risk for being obesity.<br /><br />Conclusion:<br />Obese children had rarely and less consume of fruits and vegetables than that did in non-obese children at Yogyakarta Municipality and District of Bantul. The children rarely and less consuming fruits and vegetables increased the risk of obesity.<br /><br />KEYWORDS: children obesity, vegetable, fruit<br /><br />ABSTRAK<br /><br />Latar Belakang: Indonesia saat ini mengalami masalah gizi ganda, yaitu masalah gizi kurang dan gizi lebih. Kelebihan  gizi atau obesitas pada anak dan remaja apabila tidak diatasi maka berdampak menjadi obesitas pada masa dewasa yang berpotensi mengalami penyakit tidak menular, seperti jantung, hipertensi dan diabetes mellitus. Prevalensi obesitas pada anak di Provinsi Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta mengalami peningkatan dari tahun ke tahun (1; 2). Obesitas disebabkan ketidakseimbangan antara masukan dengan keluaran energi. Anak cenderung mengkonsumsi padat energi yang berasa manis dan berlemak tinggi serta makanan kurang serat dari buah dan sayur. Beberapa penelitian menunjukkan peningkatan risiko obesitas pada orang yang kurang konsumsi buah dan sayur.<br /><br />Tujuan: Untuk mengetahui perbedaan frekuensi dan jumlah konsumsi buah dan sayur pada anak SD obes dan tidak obes di Kota Yogyakarta dan Kabupaten Bantul serta peran konsumsi buah dan sayur terhadap kejadian obesitas. <br /><br />Metode: Rancangan penelitian ini adalah case-control, 244 kasus (anak obes) dan 244 kontrol (anak tidak obes). Subjek penelitian adalah anak usia 6-12 tahun yang duduk di kelas 1 hingga kelas 5 sekolah dasar di Kota Yogyakarta dan di Kabupaten Bantul. Data identitas diperoleh dari kuesioner terstruktur, sedangkan data frekuensi dan jumlah konsumsi buah dan sayur diperoleh dari semikuantitatif FFQ. Hasilnya kemudian dianalisis menggunakan uji statistik.<br /><br />Hasil: Pada anak SD obes dan tidak obes di Kota Yogyakarta dan Kabupaten Bantul terdapat perbedaan yang signifikan(p&lt;0,05) dalam frekuensi dan jumlah konsumsi buah dan sayur. Hasil analisis multivariat setelah dikontrol dengan jenis kelamin dan asupan energi menunjukkan bahwa anak SD obes yang mengkonsumsi buah jarang (&lt; 7 kali/minggu) (OR=2,24, 95%CI:1,53-3,28), frekuensi konsumsi sayur jarang (&lt;7 kali/minggu) (OR=2,52, 95%CI: 1,70-3,73), jumlah konsumsi buah dan sayur kurang dari 5 porsi/hari atau setara dengan 400 gr/hari (OR=4,59, 95%CI: 2,11-10,00) berisiko lebih besar untuk terjadinya obesitas. <br /><br />Kesimpulan: Anak SD yang obes lebih jarang dan lebih sedikit mengkonsumsi buah dan sayur dibandingkan dengan anak SD yang tidak obes di Kota Yogyakarta dan Kabupaten Bantul. Anak yang jarang dan sedikit mengkonsumsi buah dan sayur dapat meningkatkan risiko terjadinya obesitas.<br /><br />KATA KUNCI: obesitas anak, sayur, buah


2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Brown ◽  
Gregory Colson ◽  
Claire B. de La Serre ◽  
Nicholas Magnan

One reason for excessive body weight among youth is poor eating choices. Garden-based programs have the potential to educate children about fruits and vegetables and healthy eating generally, and improve their food preferences. This study examines the impacts of two community-based summer garden programs in Atlanta, GA, on children aged 5–14 years (n = 71). These programs spanned 1 to 2 weeks and included daily gardening activities and nutritional education. The study employs a pre- and postprogram questionnaire and a food choice experiment to evaluate changes in knowledge about and preferences for healthy and unhealthy foods. Results show that the programs substantially and significantly increased knowledge about nutrients (P < 0.01), plants (P < 0.1), and healthy foods (P < 0.01). The programs also increased the number of fruits and vegetables participants tried (P < 0.1) and their propensity to make healthy choices in the food experiment (P < 0.1). Regression analysis shows program impacts on plant knowledge (P < 0.1) and fruits and vegetables tried (P < 0.1) to be lower for African American children (n = 38) and all other program impacts to be statistically homogenous. At least in the short term, garden programs such as these can alter children’s preferences and decisions regarding healthy eating. More research is needed to see if these effects persist and ultimately improve health outcomes into adulthood.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-91
Author(s):  
Ketut Murni ◽  
Desri Suryani ◽  
Tetes Wahyu W

Adulthood was where the nutritional needs of the adult age changed according to the age group. Lifestyle changes, in accordance with the changes in diet from traditional food to modern food habits led to overweight and obesity. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of vegetable and fruit consumption with the incidence of central obesity in adults in Pasar Ikan Bengkulu Health Center of Bengkulu City in 2018. This research was descriptive research with cross-sectional approach. The location of this research was in Pasar Ikan Bengkulu Health Center of Bengkulu City. The technique of getting samplis was by using simple random sampling with the sample of 74 sampel. The data was colledted by using interview and FFQ semi kuantitatif, which then analyzed by univariate and bivariate. The results of this research were 82,4% for vegetable consumption which was included in poor category, 55.4% fruit consumption which was included in good category and 78.4% for waist circumference which was included in central obesity, it was tested by using chi square test. The result showed that there was no relationship between the habits of consuming vegetables with the incidence of central obesity (ρ> 0.05) and there was no association between the habits of consuming fruit with the incidence of central obesity (ρ> 0.05).  It was important to provide counseling about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables so the obese can always control their weight and add insight to constantly adjust their diet.


2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabella Francis-Granderson ◽  
Andrea McDonald

Aim: The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions, facilitators, and barriers to healthy eating behaviors among parents of primary school-aged children. Methods: A purposive sampling design was used to select parents of primary school children from four different communities in north-east Trinidad. They were recruited via the school system with letters containing the research purpose and background. Four focus group sessions were conducted between May and June 2013. Each focus group had an average of five participants and lasted for approximately 60 min. The participants were asked to define healthy eating, identify healthy foods, and describe their concerns regarding healthy eating. The interview questions were developed and validated by the research team members. The data were transcribed and analyzed for themes. Results: Twenty-three ( N = 23) parents (78% female and 22% male) participated in the study. The participants define healthy foods as vegetables, starchy foods, porridge, tea, fiber, and foods low in fat. Parents also acknowledged that food cost, availability, parent’s inability to influence children to consume fruits and vegetables, and social barriers are some major challenges impeding healthy eating. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that several barriers exist to healthy eating among primary school children in Trinidad. Community health professionals, school teachers, dietitians, and nutritionists need to play a more prominent role in teaching children and parents about the benefits of healthy eating. Future studies need to address the barriers to healthy eating. This might help to reduce the growing obesity prevalence in Trinidad.


Author(s):  
Léo Dutriaux ◽  
Esther K. Papies ◽  
Jennifer Fallon ◽  
Leonel Garcia-Marques ◽  
Lawrence W. Barsalou

AbstractMemories acquired incidentally from exposure to food information in the environment may often become active to later affect food preferences. Because conscious use of these memories is not requested or required, these incidental learning effects constitute a form of indirect memory. In an experiment using a novel food preference paradigm (n = 617), we found that brief incidental exposure to hedonic versus healthy food features indirectly affected food preferences a day later, explaining approximately 10% of the variance in preferences for tasty versus healthy foods. It follows that brief incidental exposure to food information can affect food preferences indirectly for at least a day. When hedonic and health exposure were each compared to a no-exposure baseline, a general effect of hedonic exposure emerged across individuals, whereas health exposure only affected food preferences for high-BMI individuals. This pattern suggests that focusing attention on hedonic food features engages common affective processes across the general population, whereas focusing attention on healthy food features engages eating restraint goals associated with high BMI. Additionally, incidental exposure to food features primarily changed preferences for infrequently consumed foods, having less impact on habitually consumed foods. These findings offer insight into how hedonic information in the obesogenic food environment contributes to unhealthy eating behavior that leads to overweight and obesity. These findings further motivate the development of interventions that counteract the effects of exposure to hedonic food information and that broaden the effects of exposure to healthy food information.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 157
Author(s):  
Frans Folkvord ◽  
Brigitte Naderer ◽  
Anna Coates ◽  
Emma Boyland

Currently, food marketing for unhealthy foods is omnipresent. Foods high in fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS) are advertised intensively on several media platforms, including digital platforms that are increasingly used by children, such as social media, and can be bought almost everywhere. This could contribute to the obesity epidemic that we are facing. As the majority of children and adolescents do not eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables (F&V), which leads to chronic diseases, we need to change the obesogenic environment to a healthogenic environment. Reducing the marketing of energy-dense snacks to children and increasing the promotion of healthier foods, such as fruits and vegetables, may be an effective and necessary instrument to improve the dietary intake of children and reduce the risk of their experiencing some chronic diseases later in life. With this focused narrative review, we provide an overview of how children and adolescents react to food promotions and how food promotional efforts might be a useful tool to increase the attractiveness of fruit and vegetables. This review therefore contributes to the question of how changing the advertising and media environment of children and adolescents could help create a world where the healthy choice is the easier choice, which would reduce childhood obesity and improve children’s health, as well as to make the food system more sustainable.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0256683
Author(s):  
Carmen George ◽  
Carolyn Bancroft ◽  
Shine Krystal Salt ◽  
Cameron S. Curley ◽  
Caleigh Curley ◽  
...  

Introduction In 2014, the Navajo Nation Healthy Diné Nation Act (HDNA) was passed, combining a 2% tax on foods of ‘minimal-to-no-nutritional value’ and waiver of 5% sales tax on healthy foods, the first-ever such tax in the U.S. and globally among a sovereign tribal nation. The aim of this study was to measure changes in pricing and food availability in stores on the Navajo Nation following the implementation of the HDNA. Methods Store observations were conducted in 2013 and 2019 using the Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey-Stores (NEMS-S) adapted for the Navajo Nation. Observations included store location, type, whether healthy foods or HDNA were promoted, and availability and pricing of fresh fruits and vegetables, canned items, beverages, water, snacks and traditional foods. Differences between 2013 and 2019 and by store type and location were tested. Results The matched sample included 71 stores (51 in the Navajo Nation and 20 in border towns). In 2019, fresh produce was available in the majority of Navajo stores, with 71% selling at least 3 types of fruit and 65% selling at least 3 types of vegetables. Compared with border town convenience stores, Navajo convenience stores had greater availability of fresh vegetables and comparable availability of fresh fruit in 2019. The average cost per item of fresh fruit decreased by 13% in Navajo stores (from $0.88 to $0.76) and increased in border stores (from $0.63 to $0.73), resulting in comparable prices in Navajo and border stores in 2019. While more Navajo stores offered mutton, blue corn and wild plants in 2019 compared to 2013, these changes were not statistically significant. Discussion The findings suggest modest improvements in the Navajo store environment and high availability of fruits and vegetables. Navajo stores play an important role in the local food system and provide access to local, healthy foods for individuals living in this rural, tribal community.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 379
Author(s):  
Guy Ikambo Wanghi ◽  
Leslie Leytle ◽  
Zakayi Pius Kabututu ◽  
Augustin Rudahaba Buhendwa ◽  
Kiswaya Ernest Sumaili

<p>Obesity is a significant public health crisis affecting millions of children globally. The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence and associated factors of overweight/obesity among school children in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This was a descriptive cross-sectional study among school children and adolescents <br />(n= 1442) from Kinshasa selected using multistage sampling method. A structured questionnaire was used to collect behavioral data. The WHO AnthroPlus was used to calculate BMI (body mass index). SPSS version 21 was used for data analysis. Potential covariates were examined using chi-square tests followed by multivariate logistic regression analyzes The study found that out of 1442 students, 72% of the sample was at a healthy weight, 15% were underweight and nearly 13% were overweight or obese. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher in girls as compared with boys. The results of multivariate logistic regressions showed that the gender of children, category of age, percent body fat, eating fruits and vegetables, and physical activity levels were significantly associated with childhood overweight/obesity. One in eight children and adolescents (12.8%) aged 6 to 18 years in Kinshasa going to primary and secondary schools were either overweight or obese.</p>


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