More than Just a Meal: Breakfast Club Attendance and Children's Social Relationships

Reducing Bullying through Empathy Training: The Effect of Teacher’s Passive Presence

Bullying is a serious problem in schools all around the globe, and implementing intervention strategies effective over time is still difficult, despite the consistent literature on the subject. In this study, we tested the efficiency of a 5-day intensive empathy training program in reducing bullying among third graders. The sample included three classes of third graders (N = 64, Mage = 9.45; SDage = 0.50) from a Romanian school. A 3 × 3 mixed experimental design was used where we manipulated the type of intervention (control group—no empathy training, experimental group 1—empathy training with the teacher present, and experimental group 2—empathy training without teacher present) and the time of measurement (pre-test, post-test, and 3 weeks’ follow-up). The results showed that the intervention determined a significant increase in empathy and a significant decrease in verbal bullying but only for the experimental group where the teacher was physically present in the classroom during the intervention. Moreover, the pattern of results showed that the effects of the intervention increased 21 days after it was completed, meaning that the program could have long-term effects. No significant change in physical bullying behaviors was observed.

Examination of an Intergenerational Summer Meal Program for Children and Older Adults

Unreliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food in the U.S. is a persistent public health threat significantly impacting households with children (15%) and older adults (20%). Well-established nutrition assistance programs serve children and seniors independently, yet few programs utilize an intergenerational meal program model. The aim of this mixed methods study is to examine the impact of an intergenerational meal program administered through a partnership between a local school district and a county Senior Nutrition Program. Participating older adults completed surveys to assess food security and program attendance, and examine their understanding and utilization of community-based food resources. Interviews with a subsample of participants explored perceptions of the intergenerational meal program and community-level food security. Older adults (n = 83) completed surveys in English (59%), Spanish (25%), and Mandarin (16%). They identified primarily as Asian (44%), Latinx (30%), White (21%), and multi-racial (5%). Forty-eight percent of participants indicated low or very low food security at some time in the last 12 months. The subsample of interview participants (n = 24; Spanish 46% and English 54%) revealed key insights: 1) perceived benefits of an intergenerational meal program; 2) community-level food insecurity and struggles of older adults to make ends meet; and 3) importance and challenge of obtaining nutritious foods for those with limited budgets and medical comorbidities. Implementation of this intergenerational meal program highlights the opportunity to support the nutritional needs of children and older adults while leveraging a new interdisciplinary partnership and existing organizational capacity.

Children’s Participation in Free School Meals: A Qualitative Study among Pupils, Parents, and Teachers

School meals can have a key function in promoting children’s health. However, simply providing a free school meal is not a guarantee that pupils will eat the food. The purpose of this study was to explore factors influencing pupils’ participation in free school meal schemes in Oslo. The study has a qualitative research design, inspired by grounded theory. Data were collected through interviews with pupils, teachers, and parents, and participant observations in two schools participating in a pilot project funded by Oslo Municipality. Line-by-line coding, memo writing, and a constant comparative technique were used to analyze the data. One primary school and one lower-secondary school in different districts in Oslo that were implementing two different free school meal models took part in the study. In total, 39 pupils (5th–10th grade), 15 parents, and 12 school employees were included. Four main factors related to pupils’ participation in free school meals emerged from the analysis: the popularity of the food served, the attraction to the nearby shopping center, social aspects, and predictability. To promote pupils’ participation in free school meal schemes, schools need to solve the challenges of balancing between healthy food and popular but often unhealthy food. To implement school meals further, children and parents’ involvement, regularity of the meals provision, a good flow of information, and the creation of a friendly eating environment are recommended.

The changing role of Australian primary schools in providing breakfast to students: A qualitative study

ISSUE ADDRESSED

In recent years, state governments throughout Australia have provided significant funding to support the expansion of school breakfast programs (SBPs), in response to concerns about children arriving at school hungry. This study investigated how schools have responded to the growing expectation that they provide breakfast for students.

METHODS

This qualitative study draws on case studies of five Australian primary schools that operate SBPs. Interviews or focus groups were conducted with 78 children, parents, staff, volunteers and funders and data underwent thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Three key themes were identified: Adjusting to the changing role of schools, SBPs reflecting the school's culture, Schools as an alternative or additional site for breakfast. Some staff and parents expressed unease about SBPs shifting responsibility for breakfast provision from parents to schools but were committed to supporting vulnerable students as part of the broader school culture. SBPs were found to provide an alternative or additional site for breakfast consumption for many children not experiencing food insecurity.

CONCLUSION

The expectation that schools provide breakfast has created some challenges and tensions that have not been fully resolved. The adoption of an inclusive approach, undertaken to ensure students were not stigmatised for attendance, had resulted in concerns about the resources used by the programs as well as over-consumption of breakfast by some students. SO WHAT?: Increasingly, Australian schools are providing breakfast for students. Concerns about shifting responsibility and over-consumption could be addressed if schools were given more advice on program management by government and non-government funding bodies.

Looking through the Keyhole: Exploring Realities and Possibilities for School Breakfast Programs in Rural Western Australia

Objective: To assess the school breakfast program (SBP) in two schools with high Aboriginal student populations in rural Western Australia, their contribution to holistic support, nutritional health education and possibilities for improvement. Methods: The operations and functioning of one regional and one remote SBP were assessed by stakeholder inquiry related to process and challenges, observations and documentary review. An intervention to increase health education, social interaction and learning about nutrition and food origins implemented in one school was assessed. Results: Strengths, system and structural factors that impeded realisation of optimal outcomes of the SBPs were identified. The SBPs focussed on serving food rather than building nutritional understanding or on social interactions and support. Systems for delivery and management of the programs largely relied on staff with limited time. When offered a more interactive and social environment, children enjoyed learning about food. Conclusions: Opportunities for SBPs to offer holistic support and educational enhancement for disadvantaged children are limited by the realities of pressures on staff to support them and a view constraining their primary role as food delivery. The lack of volunteer support in disadvantaged schools limits the potential benefits of SBPs in providing psychosocial support. Health education resources which exist for use in SBPs are not necessarily used.

Examining Predictors of Breakfast Skipping and Breakfast Program Use Among Secondary School Students in the COMPASS Study

BACKGROUND

Many Canadian schools offer breakfast programs; however, students' engagement in these programs is low, while breakfast skipping is highly prevalent among youth. This study examined whether the availability of breakfast programs supports adolescents' regular breakfast eating, and identified characteristics of breakfast skippers who are not using these programs.

METHODS

Data from 30,771 secondary school students from Ontario and Alberta, Canada, participating in Year 3 (2014-2015) of the COMPASS study were used for descriptive and logistic regression analyses. Participants were categorized by self-reported breakfast eating and school breakfast program use.

RESULTS

Sixteen percent of participants reported using school breakfast programs. Breakfast skipping was highly prevalent among participants, regardless of their breakfast program use. Characteristics significantly associated with program use included traveling to school via public transit or a school bus, being a bullying victim, and having a high school connectedness score. A desire to lose weight and non-involvement in school sports were significantly associated with being a "breakfast skipper/nonprogram user."

CONCLUSIONS

School breakfast programs do not consistently support regular breakfast eating, even among adolescents actively engaged in these programs. Future research should identify and evaluate practices to bolster participation in breakfast programs and promote regular breakfast eating among adolescents.

Lunch at the library: examination of a community-based approach to addressing summer food insecurity

Objective

To examine a library-based approach to addressing food insecurity through a child and adult summer meal programme. The study examines: (i) risk of household food insecurity among participants; (ii) perspectives on the library meal programme; and (iii) barriers to utilizing other community food resources.

Design

Quantitative surveys with adult participants and qualitative semi-structured interviews with a sub-sample of adult participants.

Setting

Ten libraries using public and private funding to serve meals to children and adults for six to eight weeks in low-income Silicon Valley communities (California, USA) during summer 2015.

Subjects

Adult survey participants (≥18 years) were recruited to obtain maximum capture, while a sub-sample of interview participants was recruited through maximum variation purposeful sampling.

Results

Survey participants (n161) were largely Latino (71 %) and Asian (23 %). Forty-one per cent of participants screened positive for risk of food insecurity in the past 12 months. A sub-sample of programme participants engaged in qualitative interviews (n67). Interviewees reported appreciating the library’s child enrichment programmes, resources, and open and welcoming atmosphere. Provision of adult meals was described as building community among library patrons, neighbours and staff. Participants emphasized lack of awareness, misinformation about programmes, structural barriers (i.e. transportation), immigration fears and stigma as barriers to utilizing community food resources.

Conclusions

Food insecurity remains high in our study population. Public libraries are ideal locations for community-based meal programmes due to their welcoming and stigma-free environment. Libraries are well positioned to link individuals to other social services given their reputation as trusted community organizations.