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

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.

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

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.

scholarly journals Parental Perceptions of the Nutritional Quality of School Meals and Student Meal Participation: Before and After the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (11) ◽  
pp. 1018-1025
Author(s):  
Sarah Martinelli ◽  
Francesco Acciai ◽  
Lauren E. Au ◽  
Michael J. Yedidia ◽  
Punam Ohri-Vachaspati
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Parental Perceptions ◽  
School Meals ◽  
Before And After

scholarly journals Disparities in the Healthfulness of School Food Environments and the Nutritional Quality of School Lunches

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 2375
Author(s):  
Sarah Bardin ◽  
Liana Washburn ◽  
Elizabeth Gearan
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Ethnic Composition ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
School Lunches ◽  
School Food ◽  
Competitive Foods ◽  
School Food Environment ◽  
Racial Ethnic

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA), a public law in the United States passed in 2010, sought to improve the healthfulness of the school food environment by requiring updated nutrition standards for school meals and competitive foods. Studies conducted since the passage of the HHFKA indicate improvements in the food environment overall, but few studies have examined whether these improvements varied by the socioeconomic and racial/ethnic composition of students in schools. To better understand the extent of disparities in the school food environment after HHFKA, this paper examined differences in the healthfulness of school food environments and the nutritional quality of school lunches by the school poverty level and racial/ethnic composition of students using data from the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study. Results from chi-square analyses showed lower proportions of high poverty, majority black, and majority Hispanic schools had access to competitive foods, while higher proportions of these schools had a school wellness policy in addition to a district wellness policy. The overall nutritional quality of school lunches, as measured by total Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2010 scores, did not vary significantly across school types, although some HEI component scores did. From these findings, we concluded that there were disparities in the school food environment based on the socioeconomic and racial/ethnic composition of students in schools, but no significant disparities in the overall nutritional quality of school lunches were found.

scholarly journals Nutritional Quality of Undergraduate Student Meals in an All-You-Care-to-Eat Campus Dining Facility (P04-156-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Olson ◽  
Katie Vieyra ◽  
Alexandra Polasky ◽  
Amy Best ◽  
Lois Durant ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Saturated Fat ◽  
Whole Grains ◽  
Research Award ◽  
George Mason University ◽  
Reported Data

Abstract Objectives To assess the overall nutritional quality of meals chosen by undergraduate students during weekday lunches at campus all-you-care-to-eat dining halls. Methods A previously validated exit survey was used to collect self-reported data from undergraduate students on foods and beverages they consumed during a single visit to two all-you-care-to-eat dining halls on the George Mason University Fairfax campus, during 4 weeks. (n = 468) Nutritional quality of each meal was evaluated on a 7-point rubric, according to the ‘Wellness Meal’ standards from the Partnership for a Healthier America: ≤700 kilocalories, ≤10% calories from saturated fat, ≤800 mg sodium, ≥2 ounces whole grains, ≥1 cup lowfat dairy, ≥ 1.75 cups fruits and vegetables, and ≥ 2 ounces lean protein. Results Of the maximum score of 7 on the meal nutritional quality rubric, 4 participants earned the highest score of 5, whereas 43, 150, 132, 88, and 51 participants had scores of 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0, respectively. The most commonly attained rubric standard was saturated fat, where 60% of participants consumed ≤ 10% calories from saturated fat and average consumption was 9.1% (± 5.4%) of calories. The least achieved rubric category was lowfat dairy, where only 2% of students consumed 1 cup equivalent, followed by only 9% of participants having consumed the 2 ounce equivalent of whole grains. Approximately one-third of students met calorie, lean protein, sodium, and fruit/vegetable standards. Conclusions Despite a wide variety of food options in the campus all-you-care-to-eat dining halls during the lunch hours, most undergraduate students consumed meals of subpar nutritional quality, with the vast majority meeting fewer than half the categories on the meal nutritional quality rubric. All-you-care-to-eat university dining halls may be a prime location for nutrition education and interventions. Funding Sources This research was funded by the George Mason University Provost's Multidisciplinary Research Award.

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

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (16) ◽  
pp. 2980-2987 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katelyn M Godin ◽  
Violeta Chacón ◽  
Joaquin Barnoya ◽  
Scott T Leatherdale
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
School Environment ◽  
School Type ◽  
School Food ◽  
Sugar Sweetened Beverage ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Vending Machines ◽  
Sweetened Beverages ◽  
Behavioural Characteristics

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.

Youth Speak Out on School Food Environments

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 193-202
Author(s):  
Kelsey Gangemi ◽  
Roxanne Dupuis ◽  
Elizabeth FitzGerald ◽  
Rosemary Frasso ◽  
Sara Solomon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Eating Behaviors ◽  
School Personnel ◽  
School Nurses ◽  
Photo Elicitation ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
School Food ◽  
Vending Machines ◽  
Student Input

In Philadelphia, over 40% of youth are overweight or obese. The objective in this assessment was to learn about urban residents’ perspectives regarding the local food environment and its impact on eating behaviors. Using photo-elicitation, 20 adolescents reflected on their food environments through photographs and corresponding interviews. Without specific prompting from interviewers, every participant raised concerns about their school food environments, which they commonly found to be unhealthy and unappealing. Participants’ responses reflected four themes: (1) mixed reviews regarding the healthfulness of school vending machines, (2) lunch from home versus lunch from school, (3) factors that influenced food choice at school, and (4) critiques of school food environments. Students embraced the photo-elicitation approach as a way to convey their concerns and to suggest opportunities for improvements. School nurses, who are trusted by students and school personnel, are well-positioned to solicit student input and advocate for healthier school food environments.

scholarly journals School-based intervention that integrates nutrition education and supportive healthy school food environment among Malaysian primary school children: a study protocol

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Choon Huey Teo ◽  
Yit Siew Chin ◽  
Poh Ying Lim ◽  
Shahril Azian Haji Masrom ◽  
Zalilah Mohd Shariff
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
School Children ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Intervention Programme ◽  
School Food ◽  
School Food Environment

Abstract Background Malnutrition among school children may contribute to adverse health consequences such as non-communicable diseases, poor cognitive performance, psychological distress and poor quality of life that may persist into adulthood. In order to prevent childhood malnutrition, an intervention programme that integrates nutrition education and healthy school food environment is needed to provide nutrition information and reinforce the skills on healthy eating behaviours in schools. This paper describes a study protocol of a school-based intervention programme that integrates nutrition education and healthy school food environment, namely School Nutrition Programme (SNP). The SNP is a primary prevention programme that promotes healthy lifestyle among primary school children in light of the high prevalence of malnutrition in Malaysian children. Methods/design This quasi-experimental study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the SNP between intervention and comparison groups before and after the SNP, and after a 3-month follow-up. The SNP consisted of two main components, whereby three nutrition education sessions were implemented by trained teachers using three standardised modules, and healthy school food environment was implemented by the canteen food handlers with the provision of healthy menu to children during school recess times. Children from intervention group participated in the SNP, in addition to the standard Physical and Health Curriculum. The comparison group attended only the standardised Physical and Health Curriculum and the school canteen food handlers were reminded to follow the standard canteen guidelines from the Ministry of Education Malaysia. The assessment parameters in evaluating the effectiveness of the programme were knowledge, attitude and practice on nutrition, eating behaviours, physical activity, body composition, psychological distress, cognitive performance and health-related quality of life. Assessments were conducted at three time points: pre-intervention, post-intervention and 3-month follow-up. Discussion It was hypothesised that the SNP would be effective in promoting healthy lifestyle among school children, and further contributes in preventing malnutrition problem, enhancing cognitive performance and improving health-related quality of life among school children. Findings of the present study can be expanded to other schools in future on ways to improve nutrition education and healthy school food environment. Trial registration UMIN Clinical Trial Registration UMIN000032914 (Date of registration: 7th June 2018, retrospectively registered). Protocol version 16th September 2019 & Version 4

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

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 1635-1646 ◽  
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.

Are campus food environments healthy? A novel perspective for qualitatively evaluating the nutritional quality of food sold at foodservice facilities at a Brazilian university

2016 ◽  
Vol 137 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isadora Santos Pulz ◽  
Paula Andréa Martins ◽  
Charles Feldman ◽  
Marcela Boro Veiros
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Food Ingredients ◽  
Nutrition Environment ◽  
Food And Beverage

Aims: The purpose of this novel study was to evaluate the food environment at a Brazilian university, encompassing 6 restaurants and 13 snack bars. The investigation uniquely analyses the food environment (barriers, facilitators, type of foods and prices). This was a food-based analysis of the nutritional quality of the products sold on campus. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used, applying the classic Nutrition Environment Measures Survey–Restaurants (NEMS-R) adapted for Brazil and an original methodology to evaluate and classify qualitatively the nutritional quality and characteristics of the food. A census of all campus food environments was applied. Results: The main results show most food and beverage products were made with processed ingredients and had a lower nutritional quality and price when compared with similar products made on premises, that is, processed iced tea compared with fresh tea ( p < .001), fried refined flour salgados compared with baked wholegrain flour salgados ( p < .001) and refined flour biscuits compared with those made with whole grains ( p = .028). Only 16% of the outlets provided food ingredients or nutritional information of products available. Conclusion: The overall options for healthy food choices and good nutritional quality on campus were mostly limited by the availability and higher prices of products. These findings could be used to develop new policy perspectives for the offering of healthy food items and to facilitate better food choices among students in a healthier food environment.

scholarly journals Children's acceptance of Pilot program of School meals in rural region of northern Croatia

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Helena Tomic-Obrdalj ◽  
Davorka Gajari ◽  
Jasmina Ranilovic
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Healthy Diet ◽  
Pilot Program ◽  
School Meals ◽  
Rural Region ◽  
New Varieties ◽  
Qualitative Discussion

AbstractIn the rural region of northern Croatian county Koprivnica Krizevci, new school meals program “Smart meals for smart kids” was implemented since the beginning of 2019. Analysis of nutritional quality of standard school meals served in 18 primary schools indicated high consumption of cereal products, meat, particularly meat products, pastry and sweets, and lacking of fruits, vegetables, fish and legumes. New menu was designed with the aim of improving nutritional quality of schools’ meals through a new recipes based on gastronomy heritage, dietary habits and National guidelines, but also education and testing of children's acceptance. Initial step of the project was to test new menu through Pilot program in six schools during two weeks. Process was accompanied by educational activities through originally designed leaflet about healthy diet, new meals and nutritional benefits, and was distributed among all students. Children's acceptance of Pilot menu of 10 meals was analyzed on a 9-point pictured hedonic scale and qualitative discussion through focus groups. In every school questionnaire was distributed in 4th (age 9 to 10) and 7th grade (age 12 to 13). In total, 237 children filled out the questionnaire, 104 from 4th grade and 133 from 7th grade. In focus groups, 26 participated 14 students and 12 teachers. Results show that best accepted meals were Spaghetti Bolognese, Breaded fish with cabbage savoy and potatoes, and Chicken risotto. High acceptance of this meals can be explained by familiarity to the children, often being served at school, relatively simple dishes with lesser amount of known ingredients and adequate taste profile. Least preferred meals were Chickpea with barley and corn, and Gnocchi with turnip, these meals were in most schools served for the first time, ingredients were unfamiliar, and combination of tastes was not according to the children's preferences. Qualitative discussion revealed that children noticed the difference from standard meals, particularly increase in serving of fruits and different and new varieties of vegetables, and believe that new meals are healthier. They also liked the educational leaflet and think it is a good way of communicating about healthy diet. Teachers welcome the new menus, differences were noticeable in intensity of spiciness, new varieties of vegetables and legumes, and more served fruits. For a successful and sustainable Program follow-up, school meals should be adapted to children's dietary habits gradually with careful introduction of the new food and tastes, followed by continuous nutritional education.

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