Environmental engagement through behaviour change interventions: A case study of litter reduction in New Zealand Schools

<p>Litter has serious implications for the environment and is recognised as a significant form of marine and terrestrial pollution. A major source of litter pollution is recreational litter. Although litter is identified as an environmental problem, the propensity to litter continues within society. Behaviour change interventions have significant potential to influence the production of recreational litter. A shift in littering behaviour is necessary to reduce the environmental impact litter has on terrestrial and marine ecosystems. This research used the framework Community-Based Social Marketing to identify the barriers and benefits of littering as well as interventions to increase the reduction of littering in a school setting. The behaviour change interventions hypocrisy and goal setting were selected and separately implemented in two Intermediate schools in the Greater Wellington Region of New Zealand. Behaviour change was assessed using pre, post, and follow up litter counts on school grounds, and supported by interviews with student, teacher and parent participants. Results found both interventions to be significant in reducing the rate of recreational littering when used in conjunction with education. Goal setting was also found to be significant in reducing wrappers in school lunches. Cognitive, situational, and personal variables, as well as key stakeholders, were also recognised as influencing the litter and packaging behaviour of participants. Findings from this research can be used to support the selection and implementation of future behaviour change interventions and campaigns, specifically those targeting the behaviour of littering in a school setting.</p>

Environmental engagement through behaviour change interventions: A case study of litter reduction in New Zealand Schools

<p>Litter has serious implications for the environment and is recognised as a significant form of marine and terrestrial pollution. A major source of litter pollution is recreational litter. Although litter is identified as an environmental problem, the propensity to litter continues within society. Behaviour change interventions have significant potential to influence the production of recreational litter. A shift in littering behaviour is necessary to reduce the environmental impact litter has on terrestrial and marine ecosystems. This research used the framework Community-Based Social Marketing to identify the barriers and benefits of littering as well as interventions to increase the reduction of littering in a school setting. The behaviour change interventions hypocrisy and goal setting were selected and separately implemented in two Intermediate schools in the Greater Wellington Region of New Zealand. Behaviour change was assessed using pre, post, and follow up litter counts on school grounds, and supported by interviews with student, teacher and parent participants. Results found both interventions to be significant in reducing the rate of recreational littering when used in conjunction with education. Goal setting was also found to be significant in reducing wrappers in school lunches. Cognitive, situational, and personal variables, as well as key stakeholders, were also recognised as influencing the litter and packaging behaviour of participants. Findings from this research can be used to support the selection and implementation of future behaviour change interventions and campaigns, specifically those targeting the behaviour of littering in a school setting.</p>

Energy and Nutritional Composition of School Lunches in Slovenia: The Results of a Chemical Analysis in the Framework of the National School Meals Survey

Background: Slovenia similar to some European countries has a long tradition of the organized system of school meals. The present survey aimed to compare school lunch composition in Slovene primary schools (n = 40) with the national dietary guidelines; Methods: The survey took place from January to September 2020. Sampling of a 5-day school lunch (n = 200) for adolescents aged 10 to 13 years, were performed in schools. Chemical analysis was provided by an accredited national laboratory. Results: The median energy value of school lunches was 2059 kJ (24% of the recommended daily energy intake). The school lunches contained 24.8 g of proteins, 52.9 g of carbohydrates and 16.7 g of dietary fats. Saturated fatty acids represent 4.7 g, polyunsaturated fatty acids 4.7 g, monounsaturated fatty acids 5.8 g, and industrial trans fats 0.2 g/100 g of a meal (1.2 g/meal). Dietary fibre represented 7.8 g, free sugars for 14.7 g and salt for 3.9 g; Conclusions: The survey showed lower values for energy, carbohydrates and total fats in school lunches as recommended, and exceeded values of salt, saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Parents’ Experiences Regarding School Meals during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic required not only the reorientation of learning to remote form but also a change in the form of state-funded school lunches. One of the forms of school catering allowance was food packs, which obligated parents to prepare a warm lunch for the pupil from products included in food packs. As the responsibility for providing a warm lunch for the pupil was transferred to the parents, it was important to understand the parents’ experience. The survey was used to gather parents’ experiences of school catering allowance received during the pandemic using survey administration software—Google forms; 5166 respondents from different regions of Latvia took part in the survey. The school catering allowance in the form of food packs (83.7%) can be considered successful as over 70% of respondents rated it as positive, giving a rating of 7 (good) or above. Parents from Vidzeme and Latgale had the most positive experience with food packs. The parents appreciated the support they received, stating that it provided a certain sense of security during the crisis. Parental dissatisfaction was related to the composition of food packs, lack of local products and unacceptable products, such as canned meat and fish.

Changes in Selected Food Groups Consumption and Quality of Meals in Japanese School Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In 2020, a state of emergency was declared to control the devastating impact of coronavirus, leading to temporary school closures in Japan, meaning that school lunches were not provided to the majority of schoolchildren. Using questionnaires completed by participants’ guardians, we examined the relationship between household income and the quality of meals in Japanese schoolchildren before, during, and after the state of emergency. Participants (1111 children, 10–14 years old) were chosen to form a nationally representative sample of the Japanese population. “Well-balanced dietary intake” was defined as the intake of (i) meat, fish, or eggs and (ii) vegetables. The desired prevalence was defined as equal to or more than twice a day. Household income was divided into quartiles. “Well-balanced dietary intake” was lower in all households during the state of emergency compared with before. The proportion of those with a “well-balanced dietary intake” at least twice a day was notably low in both Q3 and Q4 during the state of emergency compared with before the declared state of emergency; relative risk increase (95% CI) were Q1: −19.0% (−19.6% to −18.4%), p < 0.001, Q2: −21.3% (−22.1% to −20.6%) p < 0.001, Q3: −25.4% (−26.1% to −24.7%), p < 0.001, and Q4: −34.8% (−35.6% to −34.0%), p < 0.001. The interaction p (vs. Q1) of Q2, Q3, and Q4 were all <0.001. Guardians from low-income households had significantly higher rates of having less: time, psychological room, and financial position to prepare meals during the state of emergency. Our results suggest that schoolchildren’s quality of meals worsened during the state of emergency, especially in low-income households, because school lunches were not provided.

Plurilingual STEAM and School Lunches for Learning?

In Japan, where there is a bias toward English-only in foreign language education, there are also grassroots efforts to introduce greater plurality in the classroom. However, introducing diverse languages and cultures into the classroom can lead to folklorization, the delivering of essentialized information in pre-packaged formats, which can potentially delegitimize other languages and cultures. This contribution examines a collaborative integrative plurilingual STEAM practice at an elementary school in Western Japan. In the ‘school lunches project,' the children experience various international cuisine, leading up to which they would engage with related languages and cultures through collaboratively produced plurilingual videos and museum-like exhibits of cultural artifacts. The interdisciplinary, hands-on, experiential learning within this project helped the children to develop an investigative stance toward linguistic and cultural artifacts, nurture a deeper awareness of languages and openness to diversity, foster reflexivity, and encourage interdisciplinary engagement.

Pivoting in the Time of COVID-19: An in-Depth Case Study at the Nexus of Food Insecurity, Resilience, System Re-Organizing, and Caring for the Community

According to the School Nutrition Association, nearly 100,000 schools serve free or reduced school lunches and breakfasts daily to approximately 34. 34 million students nationwide. However, as COVID-19 forced many schools to close, students who depended on the public schools to meet the majority of their nutritional needs faced an even larger battle with food insecurity. Recognizing this unmet need, and that food insecurity was intertwined with other needs within the community, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and its satellite contemporary art space the Momentary, partnered with the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and over 30 additional partner organizations to pivot their existing outreach services. In this case study, we identify lessons learned by Crystal Bridges that might be useful for other organizations who seek to foster meaningful engagement with the public, especially in times of crisis. Specifically, we focus on three main lessons: 1) how the museum created a plan to learn through the pivot in order to capture their own lessons, 2) how the members of the organization experienced a sense of coming together (congregation) during the pivot, and 3) how the organization planned to improve both internal and external communication.

Analytical Assessment and Nutritional Adequacy of School Lunches in Sintra’s Public Primary Schools

School meals present several cost benefits overtime at the short, medium, and long term for individuals and society. This cross-sectional study aims to analyse the nutritional composition and evaluate the adequacy of school lunches. One hundred and fifty-eight samples were collected and analysed from 10 primary schools in Sintra’s municipality, served during one week. On average, energy (27.7% daily energetic requirements and carbohydrate (48.1%) contents did not reach the reference values, and the content of protein (19.5%) exceeded the reference value (p < 0.05). The mean total fat (28.8%) and saturated fatty acids (5.4%) content complied with the recommendations. The mean salt (1.7 g) and dietary fibre (8.3 g) content exceeded the reference value but did not differ significantly from the recommendations. Addressing school canteens is crucial, not only in a nutritional approach, but also as an opportunity to achieve healthier, sustainable, and accessible food systems, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals 2030. We highlighted the importance of evaluating evidence-based practices and disseminated practice-based evidence regarding the adequacy of school lunches.