The study investigated the barriers and facilitators to, and the extent of the implementation of, the New South Wales (Australia) ‘Healthy School Canteen Strategy’.
Design:
A purposeful sample was used and data were collected using a mixed method approach.
Setting:
Two primary and two secondary government schools from a low socio-economic region in Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Method:
An audit of the available food and beverage items was followed by interviews with the school principal/deputy principal and the canteen manager.
Results:
This descriptive study found that, although positive changes to canteen menus are evident, there are varying levels of implementation of the strategy with a number of poor nutritional choices regularly available. Implementation is influenced by the local context, school type, canteen management practices, meal type and the student body – in particular, their religious practices.
Conclusion:
Concerns are raised about the effectiveness of a policy that does not take into consideration the local context.
FlemingMLParkerE. Health Promotion: Principles and Practices in the Australian Context (3rd edition). Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin, 2007.
2.
NilssonL. Health promotion as school development. Scandinavian Journal of Nutrition, 2004: 48(2): 70–6. doi: 10.1080/11026-480410033557
3.
HoyleTSamekBValoisR. Building capacity for continuous improvement of health promoting schools. Journal of School Health, 2008: 78(1): 1–8. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2007.00259.x
BellASwinburnB. What are the key food groups to target for preventing obesity and improving nutrition in schools?European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2004: 58(2): 258–63. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601775
10.
MagareyAMDanielsLABoultonTJC. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in australian children and adolescents: reassessment of 1985 and 1995 data against new standard international definitions. The Medical Journal of Australia, 2001: 174: 561–4. Online. Available: https://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/174_11_040601/magarey/magarey.html (accessed 13 April 2009).
11.
SanigorskiAMBellCSwinburnBA. Association of key foods and beverages with obesity in Australian schoolchildren. Public Health Nutrition, 2007: 10(2): 152–7.
12.
O’DeaJA. Gender, ethnicity, culture and social class influences on childhood obesity among Australian school children: Implications for treatment, prevention and community education. Health and Social Care in the Community, 2008: 16(3): 282–90. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2524.2008.00768.x
O’DeaJA. School-based health education strategies for the improvement of body image and prevention of eating problems. An overview of safe and successful interventions. Health Education, 2005: 105(1): 11–33. doi: 10.1108/09654280510572277
OnwuegbuzieACollinsK. A Framework for Developing Sampling Designs in Mixed Methods Research. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Australian Association for Educational Research, Melbourne, 29 November–2 December 2004.
