The impact of a population-level school food and nutrition policy on dietary intake and body weights of Canadian children

Fung, Christina; McIsaac, Jessie‐Lee D.; Kuhle, Stefan; Kirk, Sara F. L.; Veugelers, Paul J.

doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2013.07.016

Cited by 92 publications

(93 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…We previously reported improvements in diet quality between 2003 and 2011 in NS grade 5 students. 24 The current study adds to that finding by suggesting that school-level changes from 2003 to 2011 may have had a larger impact on student diet quality than on PA. Our findings further advance the current literature by shedding light on the types of HPS actions that may be more likely to support positive health outcomes among children. HPS practice categories of health education, healthy eating and health promotion practices were significantly associated with positive trends in diet quality from 2003 to 2011.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 54%

The impact of school policies and practices on students’ diets, physical activity levels and body weights: A province-wide practicebased evaluation

McIsaac

Chu

Blanchard

et al. 2015

Can J Public Health

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OBJECTIVES:To assess what health promotion policies and practices were adopted by schools in Nova Scotia and the extent that these policies and practices affected the diet quality, physical activity (PA) and weight status of students. METHODS:We developed and administered a 'school practice assessment tool' to assess the presence of 72 different school-based health promotion policies and practices. Surveys were conducted in 2003 and 2011 to assess diet, PA and weight status in approximately 10,000 grade 5 students. We used multilevel regression methods to examine changes in these outcomes across schools with varying levels of health promotion policies and practices between the two time-points. RESULTS:Between 2003 and 2011 the diet quality of students improved, PA decreased and the prevalence of childhood obesity increased. Although we did not find consistent or significant favourable benefits resulting from higher implementation levels, we did observe fewer negative trends among schools at higher levels of implementation. CONCLUSION:Our results build on the current gap in knowledge on the impact of Health Promoting Schools (HPS) implementation through population health interventions, but there is a continued need for further evaluation and monitoring of school policies to understand how HPS practices are supporting healthier eating and PA for students.KEY WORDS: Public health; schools; health promotion; health behaviour; prevention La traduction du résumé se trouve à la fin de l'article.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 54%

The impact of school policies and practices on students’ diets, physical activity levels and body weights: A province-wide practicebased evaluation

McIsaac

Chu

Blanchard

et al. 2015

Can J Public Health

Self Cite

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“…The implementation of school food policy is relevant even in the absence of a state school meal programme. Provincial school food and beverage policies in Canada, for example, have had an impact in terms of reducing the availability of sugarsweetened beverages, French fries and confectionery available within schools (25,26) ; and a 'Healthy School Canteen' initiative in Dutch schools has improved the food environment, healthy eating curriculum and school food policy in the majority of participating schools (27) . For our participants, food from the local environment was as influential as the school setting food because students were accessing both sources equally.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research from countries with no state school meal programme, such as Canada and the Netherlands, have demonstrated the importance of exploring national and regional practices in order to plan relevant interventions (25)(26)(27) . Recent evaluations of provincial school food policy activity in Canada have shown positive outcomes in terms of widespread provision of healthier beverages, improved food quality and reductions in students' energy intake (25,26) . In the ROI, food provision is decided at local level by school principals (head teachers) and local, independent school food operators (9,28) .…”

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confidence: 99%

School lunches in the Republic of Ireland: a comparison of the nutritional quality of adolescents’ lunches sourced from home or purchased at school or ‘out’ at local food outlets

Browne

Staines

Barron

et al. 2016

Public Health Nutr.

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Objective: To compare the energy, nutrient and food group compositions of three sources of school-day lunches among students in five secondary schools in the Republic of Ireland (ROI). Design: Cross-sectional study conducted between October 2012 and March 2013. Students completed self-report food diaries over two school days. The energy, nutrient, nutrient density and food group composition of school-day lunches from home, school and 'out' in local food outlets were compared using ANCOVA and Tukey's Honest Significant Difference post hoc analysis. Setting: Five secondary schools in the ROI. Subjects: Male and female students aged 15-17 years (n 305). Results: Six hundred and fifteen lunches (376 home lunches, 115 school lunches and 124 lunches sourced 'out' in the local environment) were analysed. School and 'out' purchased lunches were significantly higher than packed lunches from home in energy (2047 kJ (489 kcal), 2664 kJ (627 kcal), 1671 kJ (399 kcal), respectively), total fat (23·5 g, 30·1 g, 16·6 g, respectively) and free (added) sugars (12·6 g, 19·3 g, 7·4 g, respectively). More home lunches contained more fruit, wholemeal breads, cheese and red meat than lunches from school or 'out'. Meat products, chips and highcalorie beverages were sourced more frequently at school or 'out' than home. Fibre and micronutrient contents of lunches from all sources were low. Conclusions: Home-sourced lunches had the healthiest nutritional profile in terms of energy and macronutrients. Foods high in energy, fat and free sugars associated with school and local food outlets are of concern given the public health focus to reduce their consumption. While school food should be improved, all sources of lunches need to be considered when addressing the dietary behaviours of secondary-school students. Keywords Secondary-school food Adolescents Local food environments Public health policySchool has been identified as an important setting for the provision and promotion of healthy food to young people (1)(2)(3) . Easy access to affordable, healthy foods at school is recommended in obesity management strategies (2)(3)(4) , and with 20-25 % of Irish adolescents currently overweight or obese (5)(6)(7)(8) , there is increasing pressure on the education sector to play a role in management and prevention. This situation is not unique to Ireland; the availability of low-nutrient, energy-dense foods in schools and the environments close to schools is well documented in international literature (9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18) . Low-nutrient, energy-dense food and beverage items including confectionery, biscuits and cakes, salty snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages are commonly sold alongside healthier options in Irish secondary schools (9) . In the USA the availability of French fries or chips, sugarsweetened beverages and other energy-dense foods at school is associated with higher energy intake among students (16) . Fruit and vegetable consumption has also been shown to be lower in schools where low-nutrient, energy-dense f...

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“…[7][8][9] Moreover, there is evidence that health policy implementation is most effective when it is combined with other approaches to facilitate healthy behaviours in children. 16,17 The comprehensive school health (CSH) framework, for example, was informed by a social ecological approach, recognizing that in supporting positive student health behaviours, attention to school environments, teaching and learning and partnerships and services complements policy. [7][8][9][18][19][20][21][22][23] Such multidimensional approaches to school health, also called "health-promoting schools" and "coordinated school health" approaches, are intended to support the health and academic achievement of students.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Support for healthy eating at schools according to the comprehensive school health framework: evaluation during the early years of the Ontario School Food and Beverage Policy implementation

Orava

Manske

Hanning

2017

Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can

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This article has been peer reviewed. Highlights • Results from the Healthy SchoolPlanner classified most schools as "action" along the Healthy School Continuum. This suggests the presence of modest support for healthy eating, with room for improvement.• The physical and social environments pillar was divided to examine the unique attributes within each environment type. The physical environment was well supported, with safe, clean spaces for students to eat. In the social environment pillar, healthy eating was not often highly valued, with few schools identifying healthy eating to be a "very high" (16%) or "high" (8%) priority.• Programs and practices within the teaching and learning, partnerships and services and healthy school policy pillars required further buy-in from school administrators, additional funding and deeper engagement with school stakeholders. AbstractIntroduction: Provincial, national and international public health agencies recognize the importance of school nutrition policies that help create healthful environments aligned with healthy eating recommendations for youth. School-wide support for healthy living within the pillars of the comprehensive school health (CSH) framework (social and physical environments; teaching and learning; healthy school policy; and partnerships and services) has been positively associated with fostering improvements to student health behaviours. This study used the CSH framework to classify, compare and describe school support for healthy eating during the implementation of the Ontario School Food and Beverage Policy (P/PM 150).

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The impact of a population-level school food and nutrition policy on dietary intake and body weights of Canadian children

Cited by 92 publications

References 47 publications

The impact of school policies and practices on students’ diets, physical activity levels and body weights: A province-wide practicebased evaluation

The impact of school policies and practices on students’ diets, physical activity levels and body weights: A province-wide practicebased evaluation

School lunches in the Republic of Ireland: a comparison of the nutritional quality of adolescents’ lunches sourced from home or purchased at school or ‘out’ at local food outlets

Support for healthy eating at schools according to the comprehensive school health framework: evaluation during the early years of the Ontario School Food and Beverage Policy implementation

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