Enabling Food Environment in Kindergartens and Schools in Iran for Promoting Healthy Diet: Is It on the Right Track?

Abstract

Enabling policies related to kindergarten and school food environments can be effective approaches in preventing childhood obesity. This study investigated policies and/or programs with direct or indirect effects on the food environment in kindergartens and schools in Iran. In this scoping review, we systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of science, as well as Iranian scientific search engines, including Scientific Information Database and Magiran from January 1990 to October 2020, to identify literature on policies/programs affecting the food environment in kindergartens and schools in Iran. A total of 30 studies and policy documents were included in this review relevant to eight policies/programs. These programs have helped to control food availability in schools, increase nutritional awareness, positively influence physical function and school performances, and reduce malnutrition in rural kindergartens. However, improving the food environment in schools and kindergartens requires proper revisions and local adaptation of many of these policies, strengthening of cross-sectoral collaborations, provision of necessary financial and human resources, and ensuring regular monitoring and evaluation. Reflecting on Iran’s health policies and interventions provides insight into the progress achieved and challenges faced. Lessons can benefit the country itself, as well as other countries with similar contexts.

Reshaping Food Systems to improve Nutrition and Health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

“…The depiction of children in the advertisement of goods is prohibited and the Set of Production Criteria for Television and Radio Advertising by the Business Council of Advertisements of the Iranian Broadcasting Organization forbids the promotion of food products during television and radio programs intended for children. However, this latter is an internal bylaw of the Broadcasting Organization without statutory power (Omidvar et al, 2021).…”

“…A recent review found that advertisements of foods targeting children and adolescents in Iranian media, mostly in television, were predominantly for salty snacks and sweets including sweet cakes, biscuits and cookies, candies and ice cream, chocolates and sugarsweetened soft drinks with low nutritional value. Many included obese children as consumers or presenters and communicated misleading nutritional statements that were not covered by science (Omidvar et al, 2021).…”

Prioritizing population-based nutrition-related interventions to prevent and control hypertension in Iran: a multi-criteria decision-making approach

“…and ignoring the other considerations such as feasibility, acceptance, sustainability, and the relative importance of each criterion [60,61]. For example, in 2014, the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education (MoHME) formulated the national guidelines for Healthy School Canteen (HSC), based on the available evidence regarding the high consumption of unhealthy and nutrient-poor foods by children and availability of such foods in schools [62]. Based on the HSC guideline, all schools in Iran should provide healthy foods and drink choices in their canteens and limit selling unhealthy items [57,62].…”

“…For example, in 2014, the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education (MoHME) formulated the national guidelines for Healthy School Canteen (HSC), based on the available evidence regarding the high consumption of unhealthy and nutrient-poor foods by children and availability of such foods in schools [62]. Based on the HSC guideline, all schools in Iran should provide healthy foods and drink choices in their canteens and limit selling unhealthy items [57,62]. Two recent studies evaluated the implementation of this bylaw and provided evidence on the failure to achieve the desired result [63,64].…”

Scrutinize of healthy school canteen policy in Iran’s primary schools: a mixed method study

“…School-based interventions promoting consumption of healthy food and non-alcoholic beverages are frequently reported to be among the most cost-effective diet-related approaches to NCDs prevention [ 22 , 23 ]. In this regard, there are several policies/programs that directly or indirectly affect the food environment of schools in Iran, e.g., banning food marketing and advertising of unhealthy food and sweetened beverages in schools, healthy school canteen policy, health-promoting school program, the IRAN-ending childhood obesity program, weight and obesity control in students (Kouch) [ 24 ]. These programs have helped to restrict unhealthy food advertisements in the school environment, control the food items in the school canteens, increase the nutritional awareness of children, parents, and school staff, increase physical activities, monitor nationwide children’s weight, and refer malnourished children to nutritionists [ 24 ].…”