The Whats and Whys of School Lunches: A mixed-methods study of the nutritional value of lunches eaten by elementary students during schooldays and their caregivers’ attitudes and practices towards school lunches.
Date
2023-11-02
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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ORCID
Type
Thesis
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
Background: School-age children spend a significant portion of their day at their educational facilities, consuming meals such as lunch. Evidence suggests that most children in Canada have poor-quality diets, especially during the school day. The lack of universal national or provincial school food programs and policies in Canada limits the utility of dietary recommendations. Families most often provide lunch during the school day, with a minority of students accessing small-scale school lunch programs.
Purpose: To study the nutritional value of school lunches of elementary students, to explore their caregivers’ attitudes and practices towards these lunches, and to relate these attitudes and practices with what children eat for lunch at school.
Methods: This is a mixed-method research design study. It starts with a descriptive quantitative component using plate waste methodology to assess nutritional contribution and NRF 9.3 Index of school lunches, followed by a naturalistic phase, involving interviews which explore caregivers’ attitudes and practices regarding school lunches. Lastly, it comprises the integration of the results from both the quantitative and qualitative phases.
Results: Lunches’ mean, and median energy contribution was 442.6 kcal (SD 209.6) and 413.5 kcal (IQR 287.6), 13.6% of which were proteins. There were statistically significant differences in calorie content observed across grades. The lunches’ nutritional contribution fell below Canadian references for the most critical nutrients for childhood, such as calcium and vitamin D. The mean NRF9.3 Index score for school lunches was 346.8, with statistically significant variations between grades.
In terms of the context surrounding these lunches, parents reported that preparing them was a stressful chore. Various factors affected them, such as nutrition, cost, portability, and time constraints. Additionally, parents aimed to include options that their children would like to eat, ensuring they were going to be fed during school hours.
Conclusion: Most school lunches are characterized by a low contribution of critical nutrients for childhood, which can be attributed to various circumstances within the families' and students' contexts. The implementation of public policies could play a crucial role in addressing this issue, such as a universal school lunch program to guarantee all students have access to nutritious meals during the school day.
Description
Keywords
school food, school lunches, food policy, childhood nutrition, plate waste
Citation
Degree
Master of Science (M.Sc.)
Department
Community Health and Epidemiology
Program
Community and Population Health Science