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Vilela LA, de Lima Costa BV, Jardim MZ, Borges LD, do Carmo AS, Inácio MLC, Mendes LL. Private school canteens: an analysis of the economic and financial aspects of the traditional and the healthy models. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:2102. [PMID: 37880618 PMCID: PMC10601215 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16965-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND One of the reasons for the more prominent resistance of canteen managers to implementing healthy canteens is based on the belief in the economic infeasibility of these models. The research aimed to verify the economic and financial viability of traditional and healthy models of school canteens in a Brazilian metropolis. METHODS The case study was carried out with 36 companies in the school canteen sector in a Brazilian metropolis. The classification of items sold in canteens considered the extent and purpose of food processing according to the NOVA Classification. The characterization and definition of traditional canteens and healthy canteens were proposed considering the amount of in natura or minimally processed foods and culinary preparations without the presence of ultra-processed foods; the percentage of ultra-processed foods or processed foods or culinary preparations with the presence of ultra-processed foods; and the existence of prohibited foods. The economic and financial analysis was carried out mainly through the evaluation of profitability. Data were collected through an electronic self-administered questionnaire sent to canteen managers. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare medians and the Chi-Square/Fisher's Exact Test to compare proportions. RESULTS The study included six companies, responsible for 36 canteen units in private schools, 30 classified in the traditional model (83.3%), and six in the healthy model (16.7%). The median percentage of natural, minimally processed foods and commercialized culinary preparations was higher among the healthy model canteens (87.9% vs. 60.0%, p < 0.001). While the median percentage of ultra-processed, processed, or preparations with the presence of ultra-processed (40.0% vs. 12.1%, p < 0.001) and prohibited foods (10.0% vs. 0%, p < 0.001) sold was higher in the traditional model canteens. The results indicated that the profitability in the healthy canteens was higher (p < 0.001) than in the traditional ones. CONCLUSIONS Healthy school canteens showed better financial and economic results compared to traditional canteens with emphasis on greater profitability and a shorter recovery time of the initial investment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Arantes Vilela
- Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Minas Gerais, 190 Professor Alfredo Balena avenue, Santa Efigenia, Belo Horizonte, MG, 30130-090, Brazil
| | - Bruna Vieira de Lima Costa
- Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Minas Gerais, 190 Professor Alfredo Balena avenue, Santa Efigenia, Belo Horizonte, MG, 30130-090, Brazil
| | - Mariana Zogbi Jardim
- Department of Pediatrics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, 190 Professor Alfredo Balena avenue, Santa Efigenia, Belo Horizonte, MG, 30130-090, Brazil
| | - Luiza Delazari Borges
- Department of Pediatrics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, 190 Professor Alfredo Balena avenue, Santa Efigenia, Belo Horizonte, MG, 30130-090, Brazil
| | - Ariene Silva do Carmo
- Researcher, Group of Studies, Research and Practices in Food Environment and Health (GEPPAAS), Federal University of Minas Gerais, 190 Professor Alfredo Balena avenue, Santa Efigenia, Belo Horizonte, MG, 30130-090, Brazil
| | | | - Larissa Loures Mendes
- Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Minas Gerais, 190 Professor Alfredo Balena avenue, Santa Efigenia, Belo Horizonte, MG, 30130-090, Brazil
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Jayasinghe S, Hills AP. Strategies to Improve Physical Activity and Nutrition Behaviours in Children and Adolescents: A Review. Nutrients 2023; 15:3370. [PMID: 37571307 PMCID: PMC10420868 DOI: 10.3390/nu15153370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite widespread acknowledgement of the multifarious health benefits of physical activity (PA), including prevention and control of obesity, an overwhelming majority of children and adolescents are not sufficiently active to realise such benefits. Concurrently, young people are significantly impacted by the rapid global rise of sedentarism, and suboptimal dietary patterns during key phases of development. Regrettably, the cumulative effects of unhealthy behaviours during the growing years predisposes young people to the early stages of several chronic conditions, including obesity. Clear and consistent approaches are urgently needed to improve eating and activity behaviours of children and adolescents. Based on existing evidence of "best bets" to prevent and control obesity and its comorbidities, we present a set of non-negotiable strategies as a 'road map' to achieving prevention and improving the health of children and adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew P. Hills
- College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7005, Australia;
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Cabrera-Ledesma B, Abril-Ulloa V, Pinos-Vélez V, Carpio-Arias V. A Descriptive Qualitative Study of the Perceptions of Regulatory Authorities, Parents, and School Canteen Owners in the South of Ecuador about the Challenges and Facilities Related to Compliance with the National Regulation for School Canteens. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:5313. [PMID: 37047929 PMCID: PMC10094177 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20075313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The prevalence of overweight and obesity in the Ecuadorian school population continues to increase. An important factor in children's nutrition is the food offered in school canteens. The objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of the challenges faced by and facilities of school canteens in the provinces of southern Ecuador in terms of complying with national regulations. For this qualitative descriptive study, semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2021 with six school canteen owners, six school directors, five health experts, and seven parents of children attending school from three provinces, Cañar, Azuay, and Morona Santiago, in Ecuador. The data were transcribed and subsequently analyzed in ATLAS ti. The participants indicated several challenges to comply with the regulations of school canteens, such as the expenses generated by them, the lack of control of street food vendors in the surroundings of the schools, and the lack of trained personnel. Regarding the facilities, they highlighted that the regulation for cleaning and hygiene are more easily fulfilled. Standards and control of the food stipend in school canteens are required to ensure a supply of healthy food for the children. Multiple challenges and strategies are proposed to improve the eating habits of the school population and to improve the nutrition of schoolchildren.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Victoria Abril-Ulloa
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Cuenca, Cuenca 010201, Ecuador
- Research Group: “Public Health, Food and Physical Activity in the Life Cycle” Career of Nutrition and Dietetic, Medical Sciences Faculty, University of Cuenca, Cuenca 010201, Ecuador
| | | | - Valeria Carpio-Arias
- Research Group GIANH, School of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Public Health, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Riobamba 060155, Ecuador
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Andretti B, Cardoso LO, Honório OS, de Castro Junior PCP, Tavares LF, da Costa Gaspar da Silva I, Mendes LL. Ecological study of the association between socioeconomic inequality and food deserts and swamps around schools in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:120. [PMID: 36650487 PMCID: PMC9847189 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-14990-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous research suggests that unhealthy community food environments around schools contribute to unhealthy eating habits and negative health outcomes among the youth. However, little is known about how socioeconomic inequalities in those community food environments are associated with food deserts and food swamps across schools' neighborhoods. METHODS An ecological study was carried out in all 3,159 public and private schools in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Three measures of socioeconomic inequality were evaluated: per capita income, segregation index and deprivation index. The community school food environment was analyzed by metrics of food swamps and food deserts. RESULTS Food deserts and food swamps were simultaneously more prevalent in neighborhoods of the lowest income, high deprivation, and high segregation. Spatial socioeconomic disparities at the neighborhoods of schools were associated with food deserts and food swamps in Rio de Janeiro. CONCLUSIONS Our results point to a spatial socioeconomic inequality of establishments that sell food around schools in a Brazilian metropolis, indicating that the areas of greatest deprivation of food services are also the areas with the worst socioeconomic characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo Andretti
- Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration, Getulio Vargas Foundation, 30 R. Jornalista Orlando Dantas, Rio de Janeiro, CEP, 22231-010, Brazil.
| | - Letícia Oliveira Cardoso
- grid.418068.30000 0001 0723 0931 Sergio Arouca National School of Public Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Olivia Souza Honório
- grid.411213.40000 0004 0488 4317 Nutrition School, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
| | | | - Letícia Ferreira Tavares
- grid.8536.80000 0001 2294 473XInstitute of Nutrition Josué de Castro, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Isabela da Costa Gaspar da Silva
- grid.418068.30000 0001 0723 0931 Sergio Arouca National School of Public Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Larissa Loures Mendes
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Nutrition Department, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Brazil
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Neufeld LM, Andrade EB, Ballonoff Suleiman A, Barker M, Beal T, Blum LS, Demmler KM, Dogra S, Hardy-Johnson P, Lahiri A, Larson N, Roberto CA, Rodríguez-Ramírez S, Sethi V, Shamah-Levy T, Strömmer S, Tumilowicz A, Weller S, Zou Z. Food choice in transition: adolescent autonomy, agency, and the food environment. Lancet 2022; 399:185-197. [PMID: 34856191 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(21)01687-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Dietary intake during adolescence sets the foundation for a healthy life, but adolescents are diverse in their dietary patterns and in factors that influence food choice. More evidence to understand the key diet-related issues and the meaning and context of food choices for adolescents is needed to increase the potential for impactful actions. The aim of this second Series paper is to elevate the importance given to adolescent dietary intake and food choice, bringing a developmental perspective to inform policy and programmatic actions to improve diets. We describe patterns of dietary intake, then draw on existing literature to map how food choice can be influenced by unique features of adolescent development. Pooled qualitative data is then combined with evidence from the literature to explore ways in which adolescent development can interact with sociocultural context and the food environment to influence food choice. Irrespective of context, adolescents have a lot to say about why they eat what they eat, and insights into factors that might motivate them to change. Adolescents must be active partners in shaping local and global actions that support healthy eating patterns. Efforts to improve food environments and ultimately adolescent food choice should harness widely shared adolescent values beyond nutrition or health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eduardo B Andrade
- Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration (EBAPE), Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Mary Barker
- NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK; School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Ty Beal
- Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Lauren S Blum
- Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Surabhi Dogra
- Lancet Standing Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing, Noida, India
| | - Polly Hardy-Johnson
- MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK
| | | | - Nicole Larson
- Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Christina A Roberto
- Department of Medical Ethics & Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Sofia Strömmer
- NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK
| | | | - Susie Weller
- Clinical Ethics and Law at Southampton (CELS), Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK
| | - Zhiyong Zou
- Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, Peking University School of Public Health, Beijing, China; National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Beijing, China
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Hargreaves D, Mates E, Menon P, Alderman H, Devakumar D, Fawzi W, Greenfield G, Hammoudeh W, He S, Lahiri A, Liu Z, Nguyen PH, Sethi V, Wang H, Neufeld LM, Patton GC. Strategies and interventions for healthy adolescent growth, nutrition, and development. Lancet 2022; 399:198-210. [PMID: 34856192 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(21)01593-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a pivotal point in the life course, characterised by transformative physical, cognitive, and emotional growth, an openness to change, and a drive to reshape the social environment. It offers unique opportunities to adopt changes in diet and physical activity that can persist into later life. Yet pre-existing nutritional problems, including micronutrient deficiencies, food insecurity, and poor-quality diets, persist at the same time as adolescents face the rapid emergence of an obesity epidemic. Adolescent growth and nutrition has been largely overlooked in intervention and policy research. Most intervention studies have emphasised micronutrient supplementation, with few taking into account the multiple drivers of adolescent diets. This Series paper highlights that effective interventions and policies will need to cut across sectors; be supported by multifaceted and multilevel policy; and extend across education, health, food systems, social protection, and digital media. Better data standardisation and systems will be essential in coordinating and monitoring these responses. In a context of shifts in planetary ecosystems and commercial drivers, resilient food systems will need to both ensure access to healthy and affordable foods and provide the infrastructure and incentives for continuing physical activity. Intergenerational partnerships with young people will be essential in bringing about transformative change and ensuring that food policies reflect their needs and aspirations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dougal Hargreaves
- Mohn Centre for Children's Health and Wellbeing, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | | | - Purnima Menon
- International Food Policy Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Harold Alderman
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Delan Devakumar
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Wafai Fawzi
- Departments of Global Health, Epidemiology, and Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Geva Greenfield
- Department of Primary Care & Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Weeam Hammoudeh
- Institute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University, Birzeit, West Bank, occupied Palestinian territory
| | - Shanshan He
- Youth Nework for the Lancet Standing Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing, Beijing, China
| | | | - Zheng Liu
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | | | | | - Haijun Wang
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | | | - George C Patton
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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