Are the laws restricting the sale of food and beverages in school cafeterias associated with obesity in adolescents in Brazilian state capitals?

Assis, Maíra Macário de; Pessoa, Milene Cristine; Gratão, Lúcia Helena Almeida; Carmo, Ariene Silva do; Jardim, Mariana Zogbi; Cunha, Cristiane de Freitas; Oliveira, Tatiana Resende Prado Rangel de; Rocha, Luana Lara; Silva, Uriel Moreira; Mendes, Larissa Loures

doi:10.1016/j.foodpol.2022.102402

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 37 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Congruent with this, research carried out with data from the Study of Cardiovascular Risks in Adolescents (Estudo dos Riscos Cardiovasculares em Adolescentes -Erica) showed an association between schools that follow the laws that regulate food marketing, restricting the sale of food and drinks, and a lower chance of obesity in children and adolescents enrolled in public and private schools. This study also points out the need for the country to establish national regulations regarding the sale of food in school canteens, which goes further and improves local instruments so that they become clearer and more efficient [31].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Influence of Canteens on the Eating Behavior of Private School Students

Lourenço,

Sá,

Moura

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The school food environment is a suitable place to promote healthy habits, as it is a space for learning and constant social interaction, where children spend at least a third of their day, and have one to two meals. This study aimed to analyze the sale of food in the canteens of private schools in a capital in the Northeast of Brazil and verify the influence of it on students’ eating behavior. A cross-sectional, quantitative, multicenter study was carried out, taking place simultaneously in twenty capitals in Brazil. A checklist with 87 questions was applied to those responsible for the canteens in a representative sample of schools in each city. Frequencies and associations were performed using Pearson's Chi-Square test. The analysis of the foods sold, was based on the NOVA food classification from the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population, regarding the degree and extent of processing. Latent Class Analysis was carried out to group the canteens into similar response patterns, modeled with covariates, and the association was calculated with the Kruskal-Wallis and Duun tests or Fisher's Exact test. The results showed that students were very frequently offered ultra-processed, sugar-rich foods with low nutritional value; 88.7% of such foods had been chosen by managers as part of the menu because they are “students’ food preferences”. There is an average of 2.3 fresh foods in canteens compared to 7.5 varieties of ultra-processed foods. There must be stricter control over what is sold, to minimize student’s exposure to unhealthy foods.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Influence of Canteens on the Eating Behavior of Private School Students

Lourenço,

Sá,

Moura

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Given this scenario, there is a need to regulate the school food environment to implement healthy canteens in private schools. A study carried out in Brazil showed that adolescents covered by laws restricting the sale of food and beverages in school cafeterias had an 11% lower chance of obesity (adjusted OR = 0.89; 95% CI 0.88–0.91) [ 55 ]. In this context, countries such as Australia already evaluate the presence of healthy canteens as an important public health policy, with the school being an ideal place to promote healthy eating [ 56 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Private school canteens: an analysis of the economic and financial aspects of the traditional and the healthy models

Vilela,

de Lima Costa,

Jardim

et al. 2023

BMC Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background One of the reasons for the more prominent resistance of canteen managers to implementing healthy canteens is based on the belief in the economic infeasibility of these models. The research aimed to verify the economic and financial viability of traditional and healthy models of school canteens in a Brazilian metropolis. Methods The case study was carried out with 36 companies in the school canteen sector in a Brazilian metropolis. The classification of items sold in canteens considered the extent and purpose of food processing according to the NOVA Classification. The characterization and definition of traditional canteens and healthy canteens were proposed considering the amount of in natura or minimally processed foods and culinary preparations without the presence of ultra-processed foods; the percentage of ultra-processed foods or processed foods or culinary preparations with the presence of ultra-processed foods; and the existence of prohibited foods. The economic and financial analysis was carried out mainly through the evaluation of profitability. Data were collected through an electronic self-administered questionnaire sent to canteen managers. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare medians and the Chi-Square/Fisher’s Exact Test to compare proportions. Results The study included six companies, responsible for 36 canteen units in private schools, 30 classified in the traditional model (83.3%), and six in the healthy model (16.7%). The median percentage of natural, minimally processed foods and commercialized culinary preparations was higher among the healthy model canteens (87.9% vs. 60.0%, p < 0.001). While the median percentage of ultra-processed, processed, or preparations with the presence of ultra-processed (40.0% vs. 12.1%, p < 0.001) and prohibited foods (10.0% vs. 0%, p < 0.001) sold was higher in the traditional model canteens. The results indicated that the profitability in the healthy canteens was higher (p < 0.001) than in the traditional ones. Conclusions Healthy school canteens showed better financial and economic results compared to traditional canteens with emphasis on greater profitability and a shorter recovery time of the initial investment.

show abstract

“…State policies regulating foods with high sugar content, e.g., the UK's sugar tax [40]. State policies restricting food and beverages in school cafeterias, e.g., Brazil [41]. Restrictions on competitive food sales and advertisements extending to the areas around schools, e.g., India (50 m radius) [42].…”

Section: Detrimentalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing Obesogenic School Environments in Sibiu County, Romania: Adapting the ISCOLE School Environment Questionnaire

Negrea,

Săndulescu

et al. 2023

Children

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The impact of the school environment on childhood weight status has garnered significant attention in recent years. This study aimed to adapt and validate the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE) School and Environment questionnaire in order to assess the potential obesogenic impact of school environments in Sibiu County, Romania. The ISCOLE questionnaire was chosen for its rigorous methodology. It was derived from a comprehensive study conducted across 12 countries which aimed to capture multifaceted influences on childhood weight while emphasizing educational settings in the collection of data. To guide the translation and adaptation of the questionnaire, a multidisciplinary committee was assembled which comprised experts in teaching and school administration to ensure target responder relevance, experts in clinical research to ensure methodological robustness, experts in language adaptation to preserve the original intent of the survey, and experts in public health to steer the interpretation of the results, with potential policy implications. The data were analyzed by distinguishing between urban and rural settings, and a two-step cluster analysis was implemented to identify potential intervention targets. To assess the validity of the adapted tool, the questionnaire’s construct validity and internal consistency were explored. A response rate of 71.2% of the approached schools in Sibiu County was achieved. Of the 84 responding school representatives, 37 (44%) were from a rural setting. The rural schools had significantly more limited access to gymnasiums, secured lockers, showers, and bicycle racks, and exhibited more serious problems regarding the inadequate disposal of garbage in the school vicinity. A two-step cluster analysis revealed distinct school categories, providing opportunities for public policy interventions. One of these primarily concerned rural schools with limited infrastructure but with proactive practices and policies which were termed “unable but willing”; on the opposing spectrum, the category “able but unwilling” mainly comprised urban schools which had available facilities but lacked local proactive initiatives. The findings emphasize the urgent need for targeted measures to bridge these discrepancies by investing in infrastructure in rural schools and promoting active school practices and policies in urban settings. The assessment of obesogenic school environments in Sibiu County provides a pilot model for broader applications due to the diverse school landscape and supportive local authorities. The results, which were achieved using low-cost methods, can guide future educational policies, health promotion initiatives, and preventive interventions.

show abstract

Are the laws restricting the sale of food and beverages in school cafeterias associated with obesity in adolescents in Brazilian state capitals?

Cited by 3 publications

References 37 publications

Influence of Canteens on the Eating Behavior of Private School Students

Influence of Canteens on the Eating Behavior of Private School Students

Private school canteens: an analysis of the economic and financial aspects of the traditional and the healthy models

Assessing Obesogenic School Environments in Sibiu County, Romania: Adapting the ISCOLE School Environment Questionnaire

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About