Exploring Student Food Behaviour in Relation to Food Retail over the Time of Implementing Ontario’s School Food and Beverage Policy

Abstract

Background: Canadian provincial policies, like Ontario’s School Food and Beverage Policy (P/PM 150), increasingly mandate standards for food and beverages offered for sale at school. Given concerns regarding students leaving school to purchase less healthy foods, we examined student behaviours and competitive food retail around schools in a large urban region of Southern Ontario. Methods: Using a geographic information system (GIS), we enumerated food outlets (convenience stores, fast-food restaurants, full-service restaurants) within 500, 1000 and 1500 m of all 389 regional schools spanning years of policy implementation. Consenting grade 6–10 students within 31 randomly selected schools completed a web-based 24-h diet recall (WEB-Q) and questionnaire. Results: Food outlet numbers increased over time (p < 0.01); post-policy, within 1000 m, they averaged 27.31 outlets, with a maximum of 65 fast-food restaurants around one school. Of WEB-Q respondents (n = 2075, mean age = 13.4 ± 1.6 years), those who ate lunch at a restaurant/take-out (n = 84, 4%) consumed significantly more energy (978 vs. 760 kcal), sodium (1556 vs. 1173 mg), and sugar (44.3 vs. 40.1 g). Of elementary and secondary school respondents, 22.1% and 52.4% reported ever eating at fast food outlets during school days. Conclusions: Students have easy access to food retail in school neighbourhoods. The higher energy, sodium and sugar of these options present a health risk.

Are closed campus policies associated with youth eating behaviours?

“…Easy access to fast food restaurants in school areas has been linked with poor dietary intake among adolescents (18), including increased intake of sugar sweetened beverages (SSB) (19) and fast food purchases (20,21), although evidence is mixed (22). Therefore, the effectiveness of school nutrition regulations may be undermined by the food environment surrounding schools (23,21).…”

“…The off-campus environment is particularly relevant to adolescents as they are less likely to eat lunch at school (23,21) Approximately one-third of grade 9 and 10 students in a Canadian representative study reported usually eating lunch somewhere other than at school and almost one in ten usually ate lunch at a food retailer (21). A recent study found over one third of Ontario secondary school students ate meals prepared by fast food restaurants at least once per week (23).…”

“…The off-campus environment is particularly relevant to adolescents as they are less likely to eat lunch at school (23,21) Approximately one-third of grade 9 and 10 students in a Canadian representative study reported usually eating lunch somewhere other than at school and almost one in ten usually ate lunch at a food retailer (21). A recent study found over one third of Ontario secondary school students ate meals prepared by fast food restaurants at least once per week (23). Similarly, in an online survey of youth from 7 Canadian provinces, 27.4% reported buying lunch out three or more days a week and another 56.7% on one-to-two days, while 12.1% and 24.4% bought lunch at school three-to-ve and one-to-two days/week, respectively; only 15.9% of students did not buy lunch from a fast food restaurant, convenience store, or other off-campus option at all in the previous school week (24).…”

“…Lunches prepared at home are generally considered the most nutritious option, relative to meals purchased from fast food, restaurants, and convenience store outlets (24,23). In Canadian secondary school students, those who bring a home-packed lunch report better total dietary quality, and consume fewer SSBs (25) and more fruit, vegetable (26), and whole grain servings, compared to their peers who purchase lunch from school or off campus (24,27).…”

“…For purchased lunches, most studies support the school cafeteria food as the healthier alternative to food purchased at fast food outlets or other restaurant and retail options. Students who eat lunch or snacks purchased at fast food outlets or restaurants report higher consumption of SSBs (25,26,28) and fried foods, and have greater sodium, sugar, and total caloric intakes than their peers who eat lunch prepared at home or by the school cafeteria (23,24,28). However, some evidence suggests school obtained lunches are generally equivalent to food purchased off-school property (24,27).…”