Poor compliance with school food environment guidelines in elementary schools in Northwest Mexico: A cross-sectional study

Background In Mexico, 35.5% of school-age children were overweight or obese in 2018. The school food environment is important because children spend a significant part of their time at school and consume one-third to one-half of their daily meals there. In 2014, a Federal Government guideline for the sale and distribution of food and beverages in Mexican schools was published (the AGREEMENT) but the extent of its implementation is not known. Methods Descriptive cross-sectional study in a representative, random sample of elementary schools, using the tools of the INFORMAS network. Data collection included: a) an interview with a school authority; b) a checklist of items available in the school canteen; c) a checklist of the school breakfast menu; and d) an evaluation of the physical environment. The main indicators were: percentage of implementation (self-report) of the AGREEMENT and percentage of compliance (researcher verified) with the AGREEMENT (based on tools b and c). Results 119 schools participated (response rate 87.5%), with 15.1% (95%CI 9.2–22.8) of the schools reporting having fully implemented the AGREEMENT. However, only 1% (95%CI 0–5.3) of the school canteens and 71.4% (95%CI 57.8–82.7) of the school breakfast menus fully complied with the AGREEMENT. A variety of sugar-sweetened beverages and energy-dense, nutrient poor products were found in the school canteens. Further, only 43.7% of the water fountains in schools were functional and 23.4% were clean. In only 24.4% of schools had the school authorities received formal training related to the AGREEMENT and in 28.6% of schools had the parents received information about the AGREEMENT. Conclusion The AGREEMENT has been poorly implemented in elementary schools in Mexico. Actions are needed to encourage and support its full implementation to improve the food environment in Mexican schools.

“Things change you know”: Schools as the Architects of the Mexican Race in Depression-Era Wyoming

This article examines the development of racially segregated Mexican rooms and Mexican schools in Wyoming during the Depression era. Working in concert with New Deal legislation, the segregation of Mexican children—regardless of US citizenship—in Wyoming was not just a matter of social practice and local custom, it became an expression of increased state and federal power that mirrored Jim Crow laws. Wyoming was not alone. The segregation of Mexicans also occurred in neighboring Colorado, Montana, and Nebraska. This article also discusses how, ultimately, public schools and schooling finalized the codification and institutionalization of Mexicans as a race of their own. In Wyoming, schools were the architects of the Mexican race. Furthermore, this unexplored area demonstrates that the segregation of Mexican children was not just a Southwest phenomenon but encompassed almost all of the US West.

A path is emerging: Steps towards an LGBT+ inclusive education for Mexican students

Mexican schools are in crisis, where LGBT+ students face constant violence and discrimination. In the past decade, civil society has led the way in evaluating school climate and assessing LGBT+ students’ needs in Mexican schools. Unsurprisingly, individuals most affected by this violence and discrimination, LGBT+ individuals, have pushed these efforts forward as they conduct research, create resources, and facilitate workshops. In this article, we show how civil society has been the leader on advocating for LGBT+ inclusive education in Mexico. We justify this claim by exploring the existing research at the national, regional, and international levels, showing that much of what is present stems from civil society’s ongoing efforts. We then analyze the current legal framework aimed at protecting students against discrimination. We also discuss existing tools and advancements designed to promote inclusive classrooms, from both a public policy and civil society perspective. We conclude by punctuating the necessity and urgency of utilizing civil society in reforms that advocate for inclusion to better formulate public policies and establish direct, sustainable ties to the individuals and communities most in need.

‘Fat black sheep’: Educational penalties of childhood obesity in an emerging country

Objective:This article explores the relationship between childhood obesity and educational outcomes in Mexico, a country where excess weight is predominant.Design:Using complementary multivariate estimators, we empirically investigate the association between childhood excess weight, measured in 2002, and schooling attainment measured 10 years later. Non-linear specifications are tested, and heterogeneous effects according to gender, living area and economic backgrounds are investigated.Setting:To fill the literature gap, this study focuses on the understudied context of emerging countries such as Mexico.Participants:Panel data from the Mexican Family Life Survey (2002–2012) are used. We restricted the sample to adolescent individuals who had between 9 and 15 years old in 2002 (attended primary or secondary school in 2002). The survey provides an accurate follow-up information on weight, height and waist circumference for each individual.Results:Controlling for a comprehensive set of covariates, we find that the relationship is non-linear in Mexico. While weight-based childhood obesity and abdominal adiposity are significantly associated with lower school attainment, at least in urban settings, no schooling gap is found between overweight students and their normal-weight counterparts. Along with rural–urban heterogeneity, obesity-based educational penalties appear to be stronger for girls and students from privileged economic backgrounds.Conclusions:These results emphasise the co-occurrence of anti-fat and pro-fat social norms in Mexican schools: while anti-fat norms may particularly concern female, richer and urban students, pro-fat norms might persist among male, poorer and rural students. These findings have important implications for public policy, namely about awareness anti-obesity programmes.