Effect of School-Based Food and Nutrition Education Interventions on the Food Consumption of Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

The school is a favorable environment for the development of interventions to prevent obesity. The objective of this systematic review is to evaluate the effects of school-based food and nutrition education interventions on adolescent food consumption. The literature search was conducted on databases: MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, ERIC, Science Direct, Web of Science, Cochrane, LILACS, and ADOLEC. The following research strategies were focused on: population (adolescents), intervention (food and nutrition education), outcome (food consumption), and study design (clinical trial). The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement guidelines were followed and all stages of this review were performed by two researchers and, when necessary, a third researcher resolved discrepancies. Included studies are randomized clinical trials (RCT). A total of 24 articles were included for review and 11 articles in meta-analysis. In the evaluation of the general effects, there was a significant effect (mean difference (MD) for fruit consumption (MD = 0.09, CI 0.05, 0.14) in serving/day; and for vegetables (MD = 0.59, IC 0.15, 1.03) at times/week. In the consumption of FV (fruits and vegetables), there was no significant effect (standardized mean difference (SMD) of interventions in their consumption (SMD = 0.00, 95% C1 −0.11, 0.11). The evidence available in this review and meta-analysis concludes that food and nutrition education interventions in schools presented favorable results in the food consumption of adolescents. Registered on the PROSPERO database (CRD42019116520).

Effectiveness of nutrition education in enhancing knowledge and attitude of pupils on choice of school mid‐day meal in Ibadan, Nigeria

“…previous findings that children have a natural inclination toward sweet taste and unhealthy snacks (Medeiros et al, 2022;Noble et al, 2003;Olumakaiye et al, 2010). This may also be associated with affordability.…”

“…Schools are effective and engaging environments for nutrition education to improve children's health and nutrition to reduce the risk of future chronic diseases (McKenna, 2000;Medeiros et al, 2022;Weichselbaum & Buttriss, 2014). This is owing to the fact that schools have the potential to effectively target a large number of children and parents simultaneously over an extended period of time in a relatively low-cost manner.…”

Development and Implementation of a Nutritional Education Program Aimed at Improving the Integration Process of Young Orphan Refugees Newly Arrived in Portugal

“…The evaluation and analysis of the results of this work are important to make improvements and choose more ways to approach young people, so that their nutritional literacy continues to increase, allowing them to gain independence and make autonomous and healthy choices. Several studies [ 2 , 19 , 20 ] have been performed on the contribution of education interventions with practical components, and there is evidence that shows differences in learning and knowledge acquisition, thus improving behaviors. In this way, holding food education sessions that combine a practical with a theoretical component may be an asset to the understanding and application of the knowledge acquired by young refugees.…”

“…Adolescence is the period of an individual’s life, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), between the ages of 10 and 19 [ 1 ] that presents itself as a phase of rapid body and psychosocial growth. It is a period of transition between childhood and adulthood, characterized by body changes and the development of the individual’s mental, emotional, and social dimensions [ 2 ]. In addition to physical and sexual maturation, adolescence is an important stage in psychological development, as it begins to lead the young person towards social and economic independence, and it is at this point that the development of the individual’s identity and the acquisition of personal skills take place [ 3 , 4 ].…”

Improving health and sustainability: Patterns of red and processed meat consumption across generations

“…For instance, informational campaigns could be combined with pricing instruments like “sin” taxes—designed according to the Pigouvian principle—that incorporate the health and environmental costs of meat consumption into the price paid by the consumers, forcing them to take the outcomes of their consumption habits into account when they choose what foods to consume [ [64] , [65] , [66] , [67] , [68] ]. School-based food and nutrition education interventions, with actions such as change in school meals, educational posters by the school, organization of events, can increase the health and environmental consciousness of adolescents and would be advisable too [ 69 ]. The combination of such policies should be effective in encouraging consumers to swap red and processed meat consumption for a plant-based diet like the MD, whose principles could be an important step toward a more sustainable future [ 70 ].…”