Factors behind healthy snack consumption at school among high-school students: a qualitative study

Snacking behaviour and nutrients intake among 11-16 years-old students from two different boarding system schools

This study's main objective was to investigate the difference between snacking behaviors and dietary nutrient intake in boarding system students. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Beijing's closed and semi closed boarding management school. The snack consumption questionnaire collected snack consumption behaviors; three-day recall periods for food consumption data were collected through the canteen weighing method and 24-h dietary recall of students' intakes. For closed and semi closed boarding management schools, the percentage of never having snacking behaviors was 12.95% and 2.69% on weekdays and 2.16% and 4.19% on weekends. A higher proportion of respondents chose unhealthy snacks in closed boarding management schools. The main problems in closed boarding management schools were the excessively low percentage of energy from carbohydrates and the excessively high percentage of energy from fat. Both deficiency and excess energy supply ratios of protein, carbohydrate, and fat were present in semi-closed boarding management schools. There was a high risk of calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, and selenium deficiency for most students in both management schools. The closed-school girls had the highest risk of suffering from iron deficiency. Vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, and vitamin E deficiencies were severe in both schools, especially vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin B2 deficiencies in semi-closed boarding management schoolboys. Effective nutritional interventions should be taken to improve the nutritional status of both boarding management and school students.

Salty and Savoury Snacks Compliance with 2016 and 2019 Sodium Content Targets-Durban Market, South Africa

South Africans consume a significantly high amount of sodium from salty snacks. The study aimed to evaluate savoury snacks (ready-to-eat savoury snacks, flavoured potato crisps and flavoured ready-to-eat, savoury snacks and potato crisps-salt and vinegar only) for compliance with the June 2016 and 2019 target date for sodium reduction as set out by the Department of Health in Regulation 214. It also looked at low-sodium claims made by the evaluated products. The study's research problem is located at the confluence of three critical trends: increasing consumption of sodium-containing salty snacks, increasing sodium-related disease burden and deaths and attempts to regulate sodium intake through regulation as a response. A total sample of 90 products belonging to the above categories was considered. Sodium content information was collected from the selected product packages. The study also applied the Association of Official Analytical Chemists' (AOAC) official method 984.27 in laboratory tests to verify low-sodium claims on the sampled products. The study showed that out of the 90 selected snacks, 26% of the snacks did not meet their 2019 targets, while 4% did not meet their 2016 targets. Fisher's exact tests showed that no snack category had a better inclination toward meeting 2019 tests than others. The laboratory tests showed that 4.4% of the products made a compliant low-sodium content claim (sodium levels below 120 mg Na/100 g), while one made a non-compliant sodium content claim. Among other things, the study recommended increased product compliance monitoring and evaluation, using standardised, rigorous sodium testing and measuring systems, using more consumer-friendly labels and consumer education on sodium labelling.

Association between the Habitual Snack Consumption at School and the Prevalence of Overweight in Adolescent Students in Tasikmalaya, Indonesia

Background: Worldwide, More than 340 million children and adolescents have overweight problems, and snacking habits are likely contributing factors. However, little is known about habitual snack consumption in school, especially regarding snack types that may lead to overweight.  Purpose: Our study aims to analyse the association between habitual snack consumption and the prevalence of overweight in junior high school students. Methods: An observational study with a cross-sectional design was conducted in Tasikmalaya, West Java, Indonesia, involving 397 participants from five public junior high schools. The habitual snack consumption included the consumption habits of various types of snacks (sweet-fried snacks, salty-fried snacks, sweet-non-fried snacks, salty-non-fried snacks, fruits, and sugar-sweetened beverages) measured by a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and categorised into rarely and often. The overweight status was determined based on the BMI-for-age z-score (BAZ) and categorised into not-overweight and overweight. We analysed the data using a logistic regression test.  Results: The habits of often consuming sweet-fried snacks (p<0.001; aOR=5.448; 95% CI=2.303–12.886), salty-fried snacks (p=0.040; aOR=3.662; 95%CI=1.063-12.621), and sugar-sweetened beverages (p=0.026; aOR= 3.100; 95%CI=1.143-8.407) were risk factors associated with overweight. Conclusion: The habit of often consuming sweet-fried snacks was a risk factor for being overweight with the greatest odds. Therefore, education on healthy snacks could be included in school learning materials to prevent overweight in adolescent students.  

The Effect of Education Using Snakes and Ladders Board Game on Healthy Snacks Selection of Elementary School Students

BACKGROUND: Primary school age is the stage where the child is in a formal operational state, where the child is able to think and reason logically and draw conclusions from existing information.. AIM: This study determined the effect of education using snake and ladder media (ular tangga) on the selection of healthy snacks in an elementary school students. The effect see on students’ knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. The study used Quasi Experiment, One group pretest and posttest without control group. The research variables were knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of students towards the selection of healthy snacks. This research was conducted in March 2020 at an Elementary School in Makassar City, Indonesia. METHODS: The sampling method was simple random sampling with a sample size of 79 students. Data collection tools were using questionnaires and educational media for snakes and ladders. The analysis was carried out descriptively on each variable with an analysis of the frequency distribution and testing the differences before and after the intervention using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: The result of this study showed that the mean of knowledge about health snack selection among student before education with ular tangga is 6.34 increasing to 7.18 after education with ular tangga. Mean of attitude about health snack selection among student before education with ular tangga is 53.92 increasing to 55.43 after education with ular tangga. Mean of behavior health snack selection among student before education with ular tangga is 9.35 increasing to 9.77 after education with ular tangga. Based on the Wilcoxon test, the p-value is obtained for each variable (p<0.05); knowledge (p=0.000), attitude (p=0.009), and behavior (p=0.001). CONCLUSION:  Education using snake and ladder media has an influence on the knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of Elementary School students.   Key words: Education, snake and ladder media, healthy snacks, elementary school students, Indonesia.    

What is a "Snack"? Perspectives from Adolescents in Urban Communities

Snacking contributes significantly to U.S. adolescents' dietary intake and is a particularly significant eating occasion for urban adolescents, who have high amounts of food autonomy and access to corner stores. Consequently, research has focused on understanding and improving snacking among urban adolescents. However, the word "snack" possesses several definitions in the literature, leading to inconsistences in research efforts. As such, the aim of this study was to explore the definition of a snack among urban adolescents by conducting phone interviews with 30 adolescents from a Boys & Girls Club in New York City. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Overall, adolescents defined a snack as a small, unhealthy food item that can be quickly eaten to reduce hunger between meals. Future directions include using the definition of a snack that emerged from this study to improve subsequent adolescent snacking interventions.

Frying Time and Temperature Conditions’ Influences on Physicochemical, Texture, and Sensorial Quality Parameters of Barley-Soybean Chips

Demand for innovative healthy snacks that achieve consumer satisfaction represents increased interest for competitive food producers. The aim of this work was the assessment of physicochemical and sensory quality of barley-soybean chips involving legume protein flours by studying the effects of different substitution levels (10, 20, and 30%) of defatted soybean (DSB) flour, frying temperatures (150, 170, and 190°C), and frying times (60, 90, and 120 sec). The chips’ moisture content was significantly decreased with increased frying temperature and time. The moisture content (1.40%) was achieved at 10% DSB fried at 190°C for 120 sec. The least absorbed oil (29.25%) was achieved at the least substitution percentage (10% DSB), the least frying temperature (150°C), and the least frying time (60 sec). These results were reflected on sensorial parameters that revealed that the most preferred chips were barley-soybean chips with 10% DSB fried at 150 and 170°C. The amylose content was increased by 33.80% in chips substituted with 30% DSB, while it was decreased to 27.16% in chips substituted with 10% DSB, and vice versa for the amylopectin content. TPA revealed that DSB substitution levels were directly proportional with hardness and inversely proportional with elasticity and adhesiveness. From obtained results, substitution levels with 10% DSB fried at 150°C are recommended. These findings encourage the production of innovative enhanced snacks involving legume protein while maintaining consumer satisfaction.

The promotion of healthy breakfast and snacks based on the social marketing model: a mixed-methods study

BACKGROUND

Skipping breakfast and replacing it with non-nutritious snacks are progressively increasing among adolescents. This study aimed to develop an educational intervention based on the Social Marketing Model and evaluate its effects on healthy breakfast and snack consumption among female adolescent students.

METHODS

This mixed-methods study was conducted in 2016-2019 in two phases. In the first phase, a qualitative study was conducted through directed content analysis in guidance schools in Khorramabad, Isfahan, and Tehran, Iran, to explore factors affecting breakfast consumption. The results of this phase were set in the benchmarks of the Social Marketing Model. In the second phase, a randomized controlled trial was conducted based on the benchmarks of the Social Marketing Model on 94 students randomly recruited from guidance schools in Khorramabad, Iran.

RESULTS

The findings of the qualitative phase were categorized into the benchmarks of the Social Marketing Model, namely the social marketing mix, the intended behavior, internal and external competing factors for behavior modification, theoretical concepts related to the behavior, and the role of supporters. In the quantitative phase, the univariate analysis showed significant between-group differences concerning the product, price, promotion, and behavior (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Healthy breakfast and snack consumption can be promoted through making acceptable the tastes, costs, preparations, and consumption places of breakfast and snack.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The trial was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (code: IRCT20170201032347N1 ). The trial was registered in 11/07/2018 and is accessible on the Iranian Clinical Trial Registration website.

Enabling Food Environment in Kindergartens and Schools in Iran for Promoting Healthy Diet: Is It on the Right Track?

Enabling policies related to kindergarten and school food environments can be effective approaches in preventing childhood obesity. This study investigated policies and/or programs with direct or indirect effects on the food environment in kindergartens and schools in Iran. In this scoping review, we systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of science, as well as Iranian scientific search engines, including Scientific Information Database and Magiran from January 1990 to October 2020, to identify literature on policies/programs affecting the food environment in kindergartens and schools in Iran. A total of 30 studies and policy documents were included in this review relevant to eight policies/programs. These programs have helped to control food availability in schools, increase nutritional awareness, positively influence physical function and school performances, and reduce malnutrition in rural kindergartens. However, improving the food environment in schools and kindergartens requires proper revisions and local adaptation of many of these policies, strengthening of cross-sectoral collaborations, provision of necessary financial and human resources, and ensuring regular monitoring and evaluation. Reflecting on Iran's health policies and interventions provides insight into the progress achieved and challenges faced. Lessons can benefit the country itself, as well as other countries with similar contexts.

Factors influencing obesogenic behaviours of adolescent girls and women in low- and middle-income countries: A qualitative evidence synthesis

This systematic review synthesized the qualitative evidence on factors influencing obesogenic behaviours in adolescent girls and women of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This qualitative evidence synthesis followed the framework synthesis approach to extract, analyse and synthesize data. Electronic searches were conducted in the Web of Science, SCOPUS, CABI Abstracts, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Google Scholar. Studies were eligible if they were conducted in LMICs, of qualitative nature, and reported obesogenic behaviours of female adolescents (10-19 years of age) or women of reproductive age (15-49 years of age). The review resulted in 71 included studies from 27 different countries. Thirty-two studies focused on dietary behaviours, 17 on physical activity and 22 on both behaviours. Gender norms and failures to recognize the importance of healthy behaviours across the life cycle were important factors. The abundance and promotion of affordable but unhealthy food, food safety concerns, taste preferences and social desirability of foods drive consumption of unhealthy foods. Busy lives and limited exercise spaces keep girls and women from being physically active. Obesogenic behaviours of adolescent girls and women of reproductive age are influenced by factors at individual, social, physical and environmental levels and require diverse solutions to address these factors in LMICs.