Rationale for the use of passive consent in smoking prevention research: Politics, policy, and pragmatics

Taylor

2012

Public Health Nutr.

Section: Ethical Approvalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing children's lunchtime consumption of fruit and vegetables: an evaluation of the Food Dudes programme

Taylor

2012

Public Health Nutr.

“…Informed consent was obtained from the head teacher at each school. Consent was sought from headteachers acting in loco parentis, supplemented by parental "opt-out" consent whereby the child is included in the study unless their parents withdraw them [32] .…”

Section: Ethical Approvalmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of the Food Dudes Programme on children’s intake of unhealthy foods at lunchtime

Taylor

2014

Perspect Public Health

Aims: Although previous research has shown the Food Dudes programme increases children's lunchtime fruit and vegetable consumption, research has seldom evaluated whether the intervention can decrease the consumption of high fat and sugar foods. This study is the first, independent evaluation of the Food Dudes programme to explore whether the programme could change children's lunchtime fruit and vegetable consumption and consumption of high fat and sugar foods following the intervention and explore any relationship between these variables.Methods: The Food Dudes programme was evaluated in 15 primary schools in the West Midlands UK (n=2,433) at baseline (pre intervention), 3 months and 12 months post intervention. Consumption was measured across five consecutive days in each school using weighed intake (school provided meals) and digital photography (home provided meals).Results: A significant increase in the consumption of lunchtime fruit and vegetables was found at 3 months for children in the intervention schools, but only for those eating school-supplied lunches. For children consuming school meals, consumption of high fat and sugar foods for children in the intervention and control schools increased over time. No relationship was found between increases in fruit and vegetable consumption and decreased in consumption of high fat and sugar foods following the Food Dudes intervention.Conclusions: The Food Dudes programme has a limited effect on decreasing consumption of high fat and sugar foods at lunchtime. Targeting unhealthy food consumption in addition to increasing fruit and vegetables may facilitate this. Restricted access to high fat and sugar foods may also reduce intake however this needs to be part of a multi-faceted approach to changing children's dietary patterns involving the whole school community.

“…The active parental consent process allowed for participation to be voluntary, meaning both the parent and student were able to collectively decide if they both agreed for the student to participate in the study. The characteristics that embody the students who did not participate in the study are unknown; however, it may be possible that these students are more likely to engage with problem behaviours (i.e., such as smoking and OHD use; Severson & Biglan, 1989) and therefore may be less likely to participate in the study. All students who participated in the study were from schools surrounding metropolitan Perth, Western Australia, and it is feasible that findings may differ in other areas of Western Australia, Australia and internationally.…”

Section: Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Encouraging Student Access to and Use of Pastoral Care Services in Schools

Cardoso

Thomas

Johnston

et al. 2012

Aust. j. guid. couns.

School-based health services (SBHS) including pastoral care can play a pivotal role in addressing adolescent health and wellbeing; including their tobacco and other drug use. To maximise the benefits of these services, they need to be accessible, useful for, and acceptable to students. This formative, qualitative study involved 12 focus groups within nine lower socio-economic Western Australian Government secondary schools. The purpose was to identify student (n = 59) perceptions of the availability and usefulness of SBHS (and other identified caring staff) to reduce students’ harm associated with tobacco and other drug use. The findings suggest students were aware of the SBHS available to them, but considered them less useful if staff were regularly unavailable; presented a ‘don't care’ attitude; held solely disciplinary roles; and were based in an area of the school unfamiliar to the student. Services were considered useful when staff members built rapport with students; took time to listen; followed-up with students and displayed a general concern for the student's wellbeing. Interestingly, students acknowledged trusting health teachers more than SBHS staff for tobacco information and support. These findings have important implications for school counsellors and other school health/pastoral care staff who want to increase the likelihood of students approaching and using school support services to reduce harm associated with tobacco and other harmful drug (OHD) use.