scholarly journals ‘It’s Hard to Make Good Choices and It Costs More’: Adolescents’ Perception of the External School Food Environment

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1043
Author(s):  
Colette Kelly ◽  
Mary Callaghan ◽  
Saoirse Nic Gabhainn
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Discussion Groups ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
School Food ◽  
Price Discounts ◽  
Food Outlets ◽  
School Food Environment ◽  
The Impact

Research on the impact of school and community food environments on adolescent food choice is heavily reliant on objective rather than subjective measures of food outlets around schools and homes. Gaining the perspective of adolescents and how they perceive and use food environments is needed. The aim of this study was to explore adolescent’s perception and use of the food environment surrounding their schools. Purposive sampling was used to recruit schools. Mapping exercises and discussion groups were facilitated with 95 adolescents from six schools. Thematic analysis showed that adolescents are not loyal to particular shops but are attracted to outlets with price discounts, those with ‘deli’ counters and sweets. Cost, convenience and choice are key factors influencing preference for food outlets and foods. Quality, variety and health were important factors for adolescents but these features, especially affordable healthy food, were hard to find. Social factors such as spending time with friends is also an important feature of food environments that deserves further attention. Adolescents’ perceptions of their food environment provide insights into features that can be manipulated to enable healthy choices.

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.

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 A Systematic Review on Socioeconomic Differences in the Association between the Food Environment and Dietary Behaviors

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joreintje D. Mackenbach ◽  
Kyra G. M. Nelissen ◽  
S. Coosje Dijkstra ◽  
Maartje P. Poelman ◽  
Joost G. Daams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Dietary Behavior ◽  
Food Prices ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Socioeconomic Differences ◽  
School Food ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Adolescents And Adults ◽  
School Food Environment ◽  
Objectively Measured

Little is known about socioeconomic differences in the association between the food environment and dietary behavior. We systematically reviewed four databases for original studies conducted in adolescents and adults. Food environments were defined as all objective and perceived aspects of the physical and economic food environment outside the home. The 43 included studies were diverse in the measures used to define the food environment, socioeconomic position (SEP) and dietary behavior, as well as in their results. Based on studies investigating the economic (n = 6) and school food environment (n = 4), somewhat consistent evidence suggests that low SEP individuals are more responsive to changes in food prices and benefit more from healthy options in the school food environment. Evidence for different effects of availability of foods and objectively measured access, proximity and quality of food stores on dietary behavior across SEP groups was inconsistent. In conclusion, there was no clear evidence for socioeconomic differences in the association between food environments and dietary behavior, although a limited number of studies focusing on economic and school food environments generally observed stronger associations in low SEP populations. (Prospero registration: CRD42017073587)

scholarly journals Adolescents’ Food Purchasing Patterns in The School Food Environment: Examining the Role of Perceived Relationship Support and Maternal Monitoring

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roel C.J. Hermans ◽  
Koen Smit ◽  
Nina van den Broek ◽  
Irma J. Evenhuis ◽  
Lydian Veldhuis
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Self Report ◽  
School Food ◽  
Food Purchasing ◽  
Unhealthy Eating ◽  
Maternal Monitoring ◽  
School Food Environment ◽  
Purchasing Patterns ◽  
The Impact

The school food environment plays a role in adolescents’ dietary behaviors. In this study, adolescents’ food purchasing patterns in and around school and its potential relationship with perceived maternal relationship support and maternal monitoring were examined. Data were collected in The Netherlands in 2017. A total of 726 adolescents (45.8% boys; Mage = 13.78 ± 0.49) and 713 mothers (Mage = 45.05 ± 4.45) participated. Adolescents’ frequency of bringing and purchasing foods was assessed via a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Relationship support and monitoring were measured via self-report questionnaires. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was conducted to examine associations between adolescents’ food purchasing patterns, relationship support, and monitoring. Results indicated that adolescents brought food and drinks mostly from home, and infrequently purchased these products in and around school. Yet, differences exist between subgroups of adolescents. Relationship support was positively associated with bringing fruit, vegetables and salad and negatively associated with purchasing sweet snacks. No associations were found for monitoring. These findings indicate that family-home determinants of healthy and unhealthy eating are important factors to consider when examining the impact of the school food environment on adolescents’ food purchasing patterns. This has implications for policy makers who aim to develop and implement measures to improve adolescents’ eating in and around school.

scholarly journals Law No 1355 for the Prevention of Obesity in Colombia: Influence of School Food Environment Interventions on Children Body Weight and Diet Quality Trends Between 2005 and 2015

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 1724-1724
Author(s):  
Gustavo Mora-Garcia ◽  
Vanessa Garcia-Larsen ◽  
Antonio Trujillo
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Diet Quality ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Healthy Eating Index ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
School Food ◽  
School Food Environment ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objectives To study the impact of the school food environment interventions motivated by the obesity prevention policy reform (Law No 1355, Colombia 2009) on body weight and diet quality trends of schoolchildren. Methods Schoolchildren from six provinces that had implemented the law (‘intervened schools’), and from 26 that had not, were studied using data from the National Nutrition Surveys (ENSIN). A total of 48,936 children aged 6–17y were included (2005, n = 16,193; 2010, n = 9,907; 2015, n = 22,836). Body mass index (log-transformed z-score; zBMI) and bodyweight excess (BWE; i.e., zBMI ≥ 1.0) were the primary outcomes. The Alternative Healthy-Eating Index (AHEI; log-transformed) was derived to measure diet quality, using data from single 24 h recall questionnaires administered in 2005 and 2015. A difference-in-difference analysis (diff-in-diff) was carried out using two waves of data before (ENSIN 2005 and 2010), and one wave 4 years after the policy implementation (ENSIN 2015). The identification strategy relies on variability across time and provinces. Results A total of 11,113 schoolchildren were in the intervened provinces (2005: 4,087; 2010: 2,861; 2015: 4,165). Overall, the percentage of children with BWE in 2005, 2010, and 2010 was 16.5%, 20.2%, and 25.0%, respectively. Between 2005 and 2015, the prevalence of BWE increased from 15.5% to 27.3% in the intervened schools, and from 16.9% to 24.4% in the non-intervened schools. The mean AHEI score was 46.2 ± 10.5 in 2005 and 43.7 ± 11.1 in 2015, with a decrease of 2.29 points in the sample of children from the intervened schools, and of 2.32 points in those from the non-intervened schools. The diff-in-diff analyses showed that the interventions were associated with a 4% increase in zBMI (P < 0.05), and a 2% increase in BWE prevalence (P < 0.001). The changes in diet quality were not statistically significant. Conclusions Diet quality and trends of overweight and obesity in schoolchildren did not improve in the schools that implemented Law No1355. The observed decline in diet quality in all children studied suggest that implementation of food policies to promote healthy eating should not be limited to efforts centered in the school environment. Funding Sources GMG was supported by COLCIENCIAS (Fondo para Investigación en Salud-FIS-).

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

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (16) ◽  
pp. 2916 ◽  
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.

Abstract 01: The Impact of School Food Environment Policies on Child Dietary Intake and BMI and Future Cardiometabolic Outcomes in the United States

Circulation ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 135 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine L Rosettie ◽  
Renata Micha ◽  
Jose L Peñalvo ◽  
Frederick Cudhea ◽  
Dariush Mozaffarian
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
The United States ◽  
Dietary Factors ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
School Food ◽  
School Food Environment ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: Promising school food environment policies include providing fresh fruits and vegetables (F&V provision) and competitive food restrictions on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB restriction). Yet, the impact of these policies on diet and BMI in children and future cardiometabolic disease (CMD) outcomes is not established. Methods: We used a comparative risk assessment model to estimate the effects of F&V provision and SSB restriction on diet and BMI in US children age 5-18 yrs. We used national data from NHANES 2009-12 on baseline BMI and intakes of fruits, vegetables, and SSBs; impacts of these policies on diet from meta-analyses of interventions; and estimated effects of dietary changes on BMI from trials and cohorts. We also estimated the effects of these school policies on CMD in current US adults if such policies had been implemented in their childhood, based on meta-analysis of long-term within-person correlations of childhood and adult diets, meta-analyses of diet and CMD, and data on national CMD deaths. Model inputs were stratified by age, sex, and race, where appropriate. Point estimates and 95% uncertainty intervals were derived from probabilistic sensitivity analyses using 1000 Monte Carlo simulations. Results: F&V provision would increase overall fruit intake in children by ~ 14-21% and would not significantly increase vegetable intake ( Table ). SSB restriction would decrease overall SSB intake by ~ 6-11% and BMI (kg/m 2 ) by 0.2-0.3%. Among these dietary factors, reducing SSBs had the largest estimated impact on CMD (2418 deaths averted/year), followed by providing fruits (2121) and vegetables (165). If US adults had been exposed to both policies, an estimated 4703 CMD deaths/year would be averted, representing 0.67% of all CMD deaths. Conclusions: Specific US school food environment policies involving F&V provision and SSB restriction would modestly improve diet and BMI in children, and could prevent up to 0.7% of all CMD deaths.

scholarly journals The Role of Supportive Food Environments to Enable Healthier Choices When Eating Meals Prepared Outside the Home: Findings from Focus Groups of 18 to 30-Year-Olds

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Allman-Farinelli ◽  
Hassan Rahman ◽  
Monica Nour ◽  
Lyndal Wellard-Cole ◽  
Wendy L. Watson
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Urban Residence ◽  
Price Discounts ◽  
Special Occasion ◽  
Eating Out

Young adults are the highest consumers of food prepared outside home, which has been linked to weight gain. The aim of this qualitative research was to gather opinions from young adults about what influences their food choice when eating out and if they so desired, what might enable healthy choices. Thirty-one adults aged 18 to 30 years participated in four focus groups (females = 24). Predetermined questions were used to guide discussions which were audiotaped then transcribed. The content was organized into themes and sub-themes using NVivo software. Two broad groupings arose—personal behaviors and changes to physical and social food environments. For many, eating out was viewed as a special occasion so that healthy food was not a priority and despite understanding health consequences of poor diets this was not an immediate concern. Price discounts and menu-labelling were suggested and trust in credible organizations and peers’ endorsement of meals and venues expressed. The role of smartphones in the modern food environment emerged as a tool to enable immediate access to many restaurants to order food and access reviews and social media as a source of persuasive food imagery. Current menu-labelling initiatives should continue, food pricing be explored and influence of smartphones on diet further researched. However, these findings may be limited by the high proportion of women and higher socioeconomic status and urban residence of many participants.

scholarly journals Beyond Health & Nutrition: Re-framing school food programs through integrated food pedagogies

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 48-71
Author(s):  
Barbara Parker ◽  
Mario Koeppel
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
School Food ◽  
Community Based Research ◽  
Food Literacy ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
School Food Environment ◽  
K 12

In this paper, we present findings from a community-based research project on school food environments in 50 elementary and high schools in a mid-sized city in Ontario, Canada. Our findings highlight that schools' privilege five intersecting domains in the school food environment: 1) health and nutrition; 2) food access; 3) education and food literacy; 4) environment and sustainability; and 5) the socio-cultural aspects of food. These results illustrate that the dominant discourses about school food mainly revolve around health, nutrition and food access, yet many of the K-12 principals also identified food literacy and learning about sustainable food systems and the environment, in addition to the relational or socio-cultural aspects of foods as important elements of their school food environments. This integrative approach to food extends our understanding of food beyond charity, and opens up conversations about food as a human right. Ouranalysis shows the need to go beyond a health or nutrition school food program and consider integrative food pedagogies which will promote social and environmental food justice in the school food environment.

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