A Province-wide School Nutrition Policy and Food Consumption in Elementary School Children in Prince Edward Island

Abstract

Concerns regarding the quality of children's diets and rising rates of childhood obesity have received considerable attention in recent years. [1][2][3][4] As of 2004, about 1.1 million (18%) Canadian boys and girls aged 2 to 17 years old were overweight, and another half million (8%) were obese. 5 School-age children in Prince Edward Island (PEI) have the second highest rate of overweight (22%) in the country. 5 These trends signify an important public health issue, given that recent reports indicate that obesity in childhood and adolescence persists or tracks into adulthood 6,7 and is associated with chronic diseases and increased mortality. 8,9 Canadian studies indicate that children's diets are not meeting current dietary recommendations, with low intakes of Vegetables and Fruit, Milk and Alternatives and Grain Products. [10][11][12] Dietary surveys suggest that children in PEI have lower intakes of vegetables and fruit and higher intakes of low nutrient density foods (low nutrients relative to energy content, such as soft drinks or candy) 13 compared to Ontario children. 14 Since poor diet quality and inadequate physical activity have been identified as key determinants of the observed increase in childhood overweight and obesity, there is an urgent need to implement preventive policies and programs designed to improve diet and physical activity in Canadian children. 15,16 The school food environment is increasingly recognized as having a significant influence over children's eating behaviours because of the amount of time spent at school and the large percentage of food intake consumed while at school. 4,15 Some studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of policies in improving students' dietary intake by modifying the school food environment. [16][17][18][19][20][21][22] One Canadian study provided persuasive evidence, for the first time, that comprehensive health promotion and wellness programs can have benefits for students. 18,23 Students attending health-promoting schools in Nova Scotia were less likely to be obese, had healthier diets and were more physically active. The majority of Canadian provinces have indicated that they have adopted new nutrition

School Food Policies and Student Eating Behaviors in Canada: Examination of the 2015 Cancer Risk Assessment in Youth Survey

“…Overall, our findings are inconsistent with recent systematic reviews examining the outcomes of school‐based policy interventions, which concluded overall that there is moderately strong evidence in support of school‐based nutrition policies for the improvement of student dietary and health outcomes . Studies specifically in a Canadian context have largely assessed policies only at the provincial level, but also report generally positive dietary results following implementation of school‐based nutrition policies .…”

Barriers to implementation of a healthy canteen policy: A survey using the theoretical domains framework

“…As global childhood obesity rates have increased dramatically over recent decades, 1 the implementation of nutrition guidelines and policies in community settings such as schools has been a priority of governments internationally. [2][3][4] In Australia, states and territories have introduced healthy canteen policies to reduce the relative availability of unhealthy foods in schools for over a decade, most of which are based on a traffic light system. 5 However, like other jurisdictions internationally, [6][7][8] such policies are poorly implemented, 5 reducing their potential public health impact.…”

School food environments associated with adiposity in Canadian children

“…[6][7][8] Despite historical resistance from various stakeholders 9 and ongoing challenges, [10][11][12] there is a generally favorable disposition towards implementing healthful policies targeting indoor food environments in schools, with several studies documenting favorable impacts across many regions in Canada. 13,14 These include positive effects particularly with respect to the availability of fruits and vegetables, and to restricting access to unhealthy beverages. [15][16][17] Favorable impacts on body weight have also been reported.…”