Parents’ and Teachers’ Views of Food Environments and Policies in Indian Private Secondary Schools

Abstract

School food environments and policies can play a pivotal role in inculcating healthy food habits among young people. This cross-sectional survey explored teachers’ and parents’ views of the role of school food environments and policies in promoting healthy food consumption among Indian adolescents. Thirty-two teachers and 280 parents from five private, English-speaking, secondary schools in Kolkata, India took part in a short questionnaire survey which included closed and open answer questions. Descriptive and chi-square analyses were performed to compare the responses of parents and teachers. Thematic data analysis underpinned by Template Analysis Technique was employed to examine the qualitative responses. The easy availability and accessibility of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods, the limited availability of nutritious foods, the absence of written food policies, and inflated prices of nutritious foods were reported as problems in the Indian school food environment. However, the respondents also noted that schools restricted the sale of sugar-sweetened beverages and adopted hygienic food practices. Novel ideas for creating healthy school food environments and effective school canteen policies were also captured during the survey. These findings point to the need to create effective school food policies in Indian secondary schools to help adolescents eat healthily at school. Future research is required to test the feasibility of the implementation of school food policies.

Malaysian adolescents’ perceptions of healthy eating: a qualitative study

“…In the present study, the adolescents mentioned availability of foods at school as a barrier for them to practise healthy eating. In school, it seems common to find that there is a higher availability of unhealthy food choices compared with healthy foods (45,47,54,66) . In Malaysia, there is a guideline for food and drink sales in the school cafeteria and any location within the school compound, which lists the foods and drinks that can be sold at school, as well as the foods and drinks prohibited and not recommended to be sold in schools.…”

Impact of a behaviourally focused nutrition education intervention on attitudes and practices related to eating habits and activity levels in Indian adolescents

“…It is during these years that adolescents start to make their own choices and can be molded to assume responsibility for their actions and form positive habits that will improve their present and long-term health (4,5) . Lifestyle choices are often guided by misleading information and adolescents may not appreciate the links between eating habits, physical activity levels and future health consequences (6)(7)(8) . Therefore, it is prudent that health-promoting interventions for adolescents focus on the attainment of adequate knowledge, enhancement of the right attitudes towards desired health behaviours, and building of skills and self-efficacy to take appropriate actions.…”

“…It is during these years that adolescents start to make their own choices and can be molded to assume responsibility for their actions and form positive habits that will improve their present and long-term health (4,5) . Lifestyle choices are often guided by misleading information and adolescents may not appreciate the links between eating habits, physical activity levels and future health consequences (6)(7)(8) . Therefore, it is prudent that health-promoting interventions for adolescents focus on the attainment of adequate knowledge, enhancement of the right attitudes towards desired health behaviours, and building of skills and self-efficacy to take appropriate actions.Unhealthy eating behaviours such as skipping meals, high intake of energy-dense and nutrient-deficient foods such as wafers, chocolates and sweetened beverages, frequent consumption of fast foods and inadequate intake of protective foods such as fruits and vegetables have been reported in adolescents in India, as elsewhere (9)(10)(11)(12)(13) .…”

“…The current Indian secondary school curriculum includes health and NE as a part of the science or physical education syllabus, although limited exposure to nutritionrelated content and lack of relevant practical skills-based assignments to encourage positive behaviour change have been reported (8,51) . A curriculum-based NE intervention that provides relevant knowledge in a fun and interesting way (32) , promotes attitudes and skills conducive to good health (46) , involves parents as partners (52) and features participatory activities tailored to the needs of the target group (53) can make a significant contribution to improving diet and activity practices and thereby reducing the risk to rampant issues such as obesity among adolescents (37,54,55) .…”

Promotion of Healthy Eating in Spanish High Schools

“…Nutritional health seems to hold an unimportant place in the high school curriculum, differently from earlier stages of education such as primary and/or child education. Food-related health protection is insufficient: food in school cafeterias has poor quality, external premises promote the consumption of unhealthy food, and health-promoting activities are lacking [ 27 , 28 , 29 ].…”