Lunch-time food source is associated with school hour and school day diet quality among Canadian children

Nutrient intakes of Canadian children and adolescents at school by meal occasion and location of food preparation

Canadian children consume a significant proportion of daily foods at school, do not benefit from any federal school food program, and have historically inadequate diets. Assessment of dietary intakes at school can inform policy discussions for the design, funding, and delivery of school-based nutrition interventions. The objectives were to examine the most recent nationally representative dietary intake data of Canadian children at school by (i) location of food preparation, (ii) meal occasion, and (iii) as a proportion of total daily intakes. Intake data from the first day 24 h dietary recalls of the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey-Nutrition were examined for children 4-18 years old (n = 1690). Intakes were reported by location of food preparation and meal occasion and were expressed as means and as a proportion of daily intake. At school, 98.6% of children consumed foods that did not require preparation, while 37.1% consumed foods prepared at home. Lunch and snacks were the meal occasions consumed most often at school, by 85.5% and 66.1% of children. Children consumed 32.6% of their daily energy intake and between 28.4% and 35.6% of daily nutrient intakes at school. School-based nutrition interventions for frequently consumed meal occasions, such as snack or lunch programs, that include foods lower in added sugar and sodium and higher in calcium, fibre, and iron may improve the health of Canadian children.

Impact of COVID-19 School-Related Policies in Ontario on Parents' School Lunch Packing Habits

Purpose: COVID-19 has disrupted the daily routines of many Canadian families. In Ontario, provincially mandated public health measures have resulted in significant changes to school policies, including those related to food. The impact of COVID-19 related school food policies on parental lunch packing habits is unknown; therefore, this study investigated how school-related COVID-19 policies have impacted parental school lunch packing habits.Methods: Parents (N = 287) of school-aged children were recruited from parent-specific Facebook groups across Ontario, Canada, to complete an online survey regarding lunch packing habits. This survey was developed based on findings from a previously conducted scoping review. Open-ended survey responses were inductively analyzed.Results: Three over-arching themes were constructed: (1) Food Programs and COVID-19; (2) Schedule Changes; and (3) School Policy Changes. Parents explained that the cancellation or modification of food programs at schools, changes to the length of time children are given to eat at school, and removal of access to microwaves, garbage cans, and teacher assistance during lunch have forced parents to change their lunch packing habits.Conclusion: Findings from this study demonstrate a need for better support to help ease the burden parents experience when packing their child's school lunch, during an already extremely stressful time.

Interaction effects of socio-economic position in the association between eating location and diet quality in Portuguese children and adolescents: results from the National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2015-2016

This study aims to evaluate the interaction effect of socio-economic environment (SEE) in the relationship between the eating location (EL) and diet quality, in children and adolescents. Data included Portuguese children and adolescents (3-17 years) from a National Dietary Survey Sample (IAN-AF 2015/2016, n 987). Dietary intake was obtained by 2-d food diaries (children) or 2-24-h-recall (adolescents). Participants were classified into four groups of EL: 'Home', 'Other homes', 'School' and 'Restaurants'. Diet quality was measured as a higher adherence to a healthy eating pattern. A previous developed socio-economic classification was used, and participants were grouped as belonging to a low socio-economic environment (LSE) or middle-high socio-economic environment (MHSE). Linear regression models were used to evaluate the association between EL and diet quality, stratified by the SEE. A statistically significant interaction effect was found (P < 0·01) for the SEE in the association between EL and diet quality. After adjustment for potential confounders, in LSE, participants belonging to 'Other homes' (β = -2·07; 95 % CI:-3·70, -0·44) and 'Restaurants' (β = -3·31; 95 % CI: -5·08, -1·54) had lower scores in the diet quality score, comparing to 'Home'. In MHSE, comparing with 'Home', 'Restaurants' showed lower diet quality (β = -1·56; 95 % CI:-2·65, -0·48), while the 'School' had better diet quality (β = 0·90; 95 % CI: 0·16, 1·64). The SEE influences the association between EL and diet quality and, belonging to more disadvantaged SEE, might represent a higher risk of unhealthy eating habits when eating out-of-home.

Children's School-Day Nutrient Intake in Ontario: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study Comparing Students' Packed Lunches from Two School Schedules

This study compared the caloric and nutrient values of packed lunch contents and consumption in the Balanced School Day (BSD) (two 20 min eating periods) versus the Traditional Schedule (TS) (one 20 min lunch). Foods consumed during school were assessed by direct food observation in 321 grade 3 and 4 students, aged 7−10 years, at 9 BSD and 10 TS elementary schools in Ontario. Packed lunch contents in the BSD were significantly higher than the TS in energy (3128.14 ± 1100.36 vs. 2658.98 ± 951.34 kJ, p < 0.001, respectively). Similarly, carbohydrates, total sugar, protein, fat, saturated fatty acids (SFA), calcium, iron, and sodium were significantly higher in the BSD versus TS packed lunches. Correspondingly, students in the BSD consumed significantly more energy, carbohydrates, total sugar, and SFA compared to the TS. Overall, lunches brought by students in the BSD schedule provided more energy across all macronutrients, with only a few micronutrients showing increased amounts, suggesting two 20 min eating opportunities could contribute to excess caloric intake during school, potentially contributing to the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity in Canada. Furthermore, packed lunches in both schedules had excess amounts of nutrients of concern and much work is needed to ensure that children in Canada receive nutritious lunches at school.

Trends in Socioeconomic Inequities in Diet Quality between 2004 and 2015 among a Nationally Representative Sample of Children in Canada

BACKGROUND

Dietary inequities in childhood may shape dietary and health inequities across the life course. Quantifying the magnitude and direction of trends in absolute and relative gaps and gradients in diet quality according to multiple indicators of socioeconomic position (SEP) can inform strategies to narrow these inequities.

OBJECTIVES

We examined trends in absolute and relative gaps and gradients in diet quality between 2004 and 2015 according to 3 indicators of SEP among a nationally representative sample of children in Canada.

METHODS

Data from children (aged 2-17 y; n = 18,670) who participated in the cross-sectional Canadian Community Health Survey-Nutrition in 2004 or 2015 were analyzed. SEP was based on total household income, household educational attainment, and neighborhood deprivation. Dietary intake data from 1 interviewer-administered 24-h dietary recall were used to derive a Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) score for each participant as a measure of diet quality. Inequities in diet quality were quantified using 4 indices: absolute and relative gaps (between highest and lowest SEP) and absolute (Slope Index of Inequality) and relative gradients (Relative Index of Inequality). Overall and age-stratified multivariable linear regression and generalized linear models examined trends in HEI-2015 scores between 2004 and 2015.

RESULTS

Although mean HEI-2015 total scores improved from 52.3 to 57.3 (maximum 100 points; P < 0.001), absolute and relative gaps and gradients in diet quality remained mostly stable for all 3 SEP indicators. However, among children aged 6-11 y, absolute and relative gradients in diet quality according to household educational attainment and neighborhood deprivation widened.

CONCLUSIONS

The diet quality of children in Canada was poor and inequitably patterned in 2004 and 2015. Although mean diet quality improved between 2004 and 2015, absolute and relative gaps and gradients in diet quality persisted, with some evidence of widening absolute and relative gradients among 6- to 11-y-olds.

Are closed campus policies associated with adolescent eating behaviours?

INTRODUCTION

The effectiveness of school nutrition regulations may be undermined by food environments surrounding schools. Given challenges in regulating external retail, some have recommended policies that ensure students are unable to leave school property during the day (closed campus policies; CCP). We aimed to examine whether CCP are associated with student eating behaviours.

METHODS

We used student and school-administrator survey data from the 60 610 Grades 9 to 12 students and 134 Canadian secondary schools that participated in Year 7 (2018/19) of the COMPASS study. Multiple ordinal regression models tested school CCP as a predictor of weekday dietary behaviours (0-5 days), controlling for student-level (grade, sex, spending money, ethnicity) and school-level (urbanicity, province, area median household income, vending machines) covariates.

RESULTS

CCP were reported by 16 schools. Students who attended CCP schools reported eating lunch purchased from fast food outlets or other restaurants and drinking sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs; soft drinks and sports drinks; sweetened coffee or tea drinks) on fewer weekdays, but consumed snacks from school vending machines on more weekdays, relative to students at open campus schools. No significant differences were observed in student reports of eating home-packed or school cafeteria lunches or snacks purchased off-campus.

CONCLUSION

CCP may help improve adolescent diets by reducing SSB and lunchtime fast food consumption on weekdays; however, students already purchasing food may shift from off-campus to within-school options, highlighting the importance of ensuring healthy school food environments and encouraging students to bring home-prepared lunches. Future studies using experimental longitudinal designs are needed to determine the effect of CCP on various health behaviours and outcomes.

What's for Lunch? Investigating the Experiences, Perceptions, and Habits of Parents and School Lunches: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Research indicates home-packed school lunches are lower in nutritional value compared with school-provided meals. Due to the lack of a school lunch program, most of what Canadian children consume during the school day is determined by parents and caregivers through packed lunches. Despite this, little research has focused on the school lunch packing habits and attitudes of parents. The purpose of this scoping review was to improve understanding of parental perceptions, experiences, and habits with respect to home-packed school lunches.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review of peer-reviewed and gray literature. We reviewed only studies published from January 2000 to January 2019 with a focus on parents' lunch packing habits for their school-aged children.

RESULTS

The review included 7 studies, with articles from the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. The studies identified 6 themes influencing parental decisions regarding what to pack in their child's lunch-school environment, food as fuel, convenience, child's influence, cost, and the lunch experience.

CONCLUSIONS

The decisions that influence what is packed in a school lunch are complex and indicate the need for support. Parents, schools, districts, and government policymakers need to work collaboratively to improve the healthiness of home-packed school lunches.

Lunch on School Days in Canada: Examining Contributions to Nutrient and Food Group Intake and Differences across Eating Locations

BACKGROUND

Recent federal proposals in Canada have called for changes in the delivery and funding of school lunches. Yet little evidence has documented the nutritional quality of meals eaten by school children, which is needed to inform school lunch reforms.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the dietary contributions of lunch foods to daily food and nutrient intakes on school days and compare dietary intakes across eating locations (school, home, and off campus).

DESIGN

Cross-sectional analyses of school day data from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey-Nutrition.

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING

Children aged 6 to 17 years who completed a 24-hour dietary recall falling on a school day in 2015 (n=2,540).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Mean percent of daily intakes of energy, food groups, and nutrients contributed by foods reported at lunch and energy-adjusted intakes of nutrients and food groups consumed during the lunch meal.

STATISTICAL ANALYSES

Descriptive statistics were used to assess the percent of daily energy, nutrients, and food groups contributed by lunch foods. Multivariable linear regression models examined differences in dietary outcomes across eating locations for the full sample and stratified by age group, with separate models for children aged 6 to 13 and 14 to 17 years.

RESULTS

On average, foods reported at lunch provided ∼26% of daily calories on school days. Relative to energy, lunch foods provided lower contributions of dark green and orange vegetables, whole fruit, fruit juice, whole grains, milk and alternatives, fluid milk; minimally nutritious foods including sugar-sweetened beverages; and several related nutrients including total sugars; vitamins A, D, B-6, and B-12; riboflavin; and calcium. Yet, lunch foods provided proportionally higher contributions of grain products, non-whole grains, meat and alternatives, and sodium. Children aged 14 to 17 years who ate lunch at school reported higher intakes of total vegetables and fruit, whole fruit, whole grains, fiber, vitamin C, and magnesium but reported fewer calories from sugar-sweetened beverages compared with their peers who ate lunch off campus.

CONCLUSIONS

Relative to its contribution to energy, lunch on school days contributed to proportionally lower intakes of many healthful foods such as dark green and orange vegetables, whole fruit, whole grains, and fluid milk but also proportionally lower intakes of other high-fat and high-sugar foods including sugar-sweetened beverages. This study adds to the growing body of evidence on dietary concerns during school time for Canadian children and highlights particular nutritional challenges for adolescents consuming lunch off campus.

Comparing Diet Quality of School Meals versus Food Brought from Home

Purpose: Consuming nutritious food is essential to learning. The purpose of this research was to determine the diet quality of elementary school lunches, both those in meal programs and those bringing food from home, in urban and rural locations in Saskatchewan.Methods: Using a School Food Checklist and digital photography we compared food group servings and diet quality in 3 school types: urban schools with a meal program and urban and rural schools without a meal program. The total sample was 773 students.Results: Only 55% of students brought the minimum number of servings for grain products and meat and alternatives, with fewer bringing the minimum for vegetables and fruit (25.6%-34.9%), whole grains (24.1%), and milk and alternatives (14.1%). Students bringing food from home had significantly more calories in their lunches from minimally nutritious foods. Students in meal programs had the highest diet quality scores using the Healthy Eating Index adapted for school hours.Conclusions: The diet quality of elementary students' lunches needs improvement, although students in meal programs have healthier diets. Interventions targeting what children eat at school should focus on increasing the number of students meeting recommendations for healthy foods while decreasing minimally nutritious foods brought to school.

Cross-sectional associations between lunch-type consumed on a school day and British adolescents' overall diet quality

Diet quality of children consuming school meals tends to be better than that of children consuming packed lunches (from home) or food bought outside school. This study investigates the association between different types of lunch consumed in a school day and diet quality of UK adolescents. A total of 2118 British adolescents were included from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (Years 1-8; between 2008 and 2016). All participants attended school and were aged 11-18 years with valid 3 or 4-day diary records and the analyses were stratified by age group (11-14 and 15-18 years). The Diet Quality Index for Adolescents (DQI-A) tool consisting of three components; diet quality, diversity and equilibrium, was used to assess adherence to dietary recommendations. Overall DQI-A scores range from -33 to 100%. Overall mean DQI-A score for all adolescents was low at 21.1%. Fewer (17.4%) adolescents reported buying lunches from cafés and shops, compared to adolescents consuming cooked school meals and packed lunches (28.3% and 36.6%, respectively), and they had the lowest DQI-A% score of 14.8%. Adolescents having cooked school meals (reference group) had a higher overall DQI-A% of 21.8%. Diet quality scores of older adolescents having packed lunches and shop/café-bought lunches were 5.5% higher (CI 2.7 to 8.4%; p < 0.01) and 5.0% lower (CI 8.1 to 2.0%; p < 0.01) than cooked school meals respectively, after adjusting for gender, region, energy under-reporting and equivalised household income. For younger adolescents the results were attenuated particularly among packed lunch consumers. UK adolescents generally consume a poor quality diet and adolescents purchasing lunches from outside the school gates have the lowest quality diets. Unlike with older children there is little difference between school meals and packed lunches for younger children. Regulation policies on food outlets around secondary schools as well as improving food choices within school premises are needed.

Examining differences in school hour and school day dietary quality among Canadian children between 2004 and 2015

Objective:

The present study aimed to: (i) evaluate changes in Canadian children’s dietary quality during school hours and on school days between 2004 and 2015; and (ii) explore whether changes in dietary quality over time were moderated by sociodemographic characteristics.

Design:

Nationally representative 24 h dietary recall data were obtained from the 2004 (n 4827) and 2015 (n 2447) Canadian Community Health Surveys. Dietary quality was measured using the Canadian Healthy Eating Index (C-HEI) which evaluates respondents’ compliance with 2007 national dietary recommendations, and the school-HEI which assesses respondents’ dietary quality during school hours. Multivariable regression models compared differences in dietary quality between 2004 and 2015. Interaction effects were used to test whether changes over time were moderated by sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age group, ethnicity, residential location, province of residence, parental education, food security status).

Setting:

Canada.

Participants:

Children aged 6–17 years.

Results:

Mean school-HEI score rose from 51.3 to 58.0 points (maximum = 100) from 2004 to 2015 (P < 0.001). School-HEI sub-scores for total vegetables and fruit, whole fruit, dark green and orange vegetables, milk and alternatives, and meat and alternatives improved over time, but remained well below recommendations. Decreased energy from minimally nutritious foods accounted for 39 % of the improvement in mean school-HEI scores. Mean whole day C-HEI scores also improved (60.8 to 66.4 points, P < 0.001). There was no evidence of a moderating effect for any of the sociodemographic variables examined.

Conclusions:

Mean dietary quality of Canadian children during school hours and on school days improved modestly for all age and sex groups but remained below 2007 national dietary recommendations.

Exploring Student Food Behaviour in Relation to Food Retail over the Time of Implementing Ontario's School Food and Beverage Policy

Background: Canadian provincial policies, like Ontario’s School Food and Beverage Policy (P/PM 150), increasingly mandate standards for food and beverages offered for sale at school. Given concerns regarding students leaving school to purchase less healthy foods, we examined student behaviours and competitive food retail around schools in a large urban region of Southern Ontario. Methods: Using a geographic information system (GIS), we enumerated food outlets (convenience stores, fast-food restaurants, full-service restaurants) within 500, 1000 and 1500 m of all 389 regional schools spanning years of policy implementation. Consenting grade 6–10 students within 31 randomly selected schools completed a web-based 24-h diet recall (WEB-Q) and questionnaire. Results: Food outlet numbers increased over time (p < 0.01); post-policy, within 1000 m, they averaged 27.31 outlets, with a maximum of 65 fast-food restaurants around one school. Of WEB-Q respondents (n = 2075, mean age = 13.4 ± 1.6 years), those who ate lunch at a restaurant/take-out (n = 84, 4%) consumed significantly more energy (978 vs. 760 kcal), sodium (1556 vs. 1173 mg), and sugar (44.3 vs. 40.1 g). Of elementary and secondary school respondents, 22.1% and 52.4% reported ever eating at fast food outlets during school days. Conclusions: Students have easy access to food retail in school neighbourhoods. The higher energy, sodium and sugar of these options present a health risk.

Diet quality on days without breakfast or lunch - Identifying targets to improve adolescents' diet

Dietary intake in adolescents does often not align with the recommended dietary guidelines. Excess intakes of added sugar and saturated fat, and insufficient vegetable intake are among the identified challenges, which can affect future health negatively. Identifying targets to improve dietary practices is therefore essential. The current study aimed to examine the prevalence of meal skipping and if meal skipping days had a different diet quality than other days, using data from a recent Norwegian dietary survey in adolescents (n = 689, age 12-14 years). Their dietary intake was recorded for four days, using a web-based record system. Differences between days with, and without, breakfast or lunch were explored using mixed effect models, adjusting for correlated data and covariates, including weekday-weekend effect. In total, 8% and 11% were days without breakfast and lunch, respectively. Days with breakfast or lunch were associated with higher intake of fibre, and higher odds of consuming fruits and berries, juice and smoothie, than days without breakfast or lunch. Weekdays with lunch were also associated with lower intakes of added sugar and total fat (in % of energy), and discretionary foods, compared to weekdays without lunch. Skipping breakfast and lunch was associated with reduced diet quality in adolescents. Targeting these meals, and in particular school lunch, is a potential way forward to improve adolescents' dietary intake.

Consumption habits of school canteen and non-canteen users among Norwegian young adolescents: a mixed method analysis

BACKGROUND

Food/drinks available to adolescents in schools can influence their dietary behaviours, which once established in adolescence, tend to remain over time. Food outlets' influence near schools, known to provide access to unhealthy food/drinks, may also have lasting effects on consumption behaviours. This study aimed to gain a better understanding of the consumption habits of adolescents in the school arena by comparing different personal characteristics and purchasing behaviours of infrequent and regular school canteen users to those never or seldom using the canteen.

METHODS

A convergent mixed methods design collected qualitative and quantitative data in parallel. A cross-sectional quantitative study including 742 adolescents was conducted, with data collected at schools via an online questionnaire. Focus group interviews with students and interviews with school administrators formed the qualitative data content. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression; thematic content analysis was used to analyse qualitative data.

RESULTS

Sixty-seven percent of adolescents reported never/rarely using the school canteen (NEV), whereas 13% used it ≥2 times per week (OFT). When the two groups were compared, we found a significantly higher proportion of the NEV group were female, having parents with a high education, and with a high self-efficacy, whilst a significantly higher proportion of the OFT group consumed salty snacks, baked sweets, and soft-drinks ≥3 times per week, and breakfast at home < 5 days in the school week. The OFT group had significantly higher odds of purchasing food/drink from shops near school during school breaks and before/after school compared to the NEV group (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.80, 95% CI 1.07-3.01, and aOR = 3.61, 95% CI 2.17-6.01, respectively). The interviews revealed most students ate a home packed lunch, with the remainder purchasing either at the school canteen or at local shops.

CONCLUSIONS

Students using the canteen often are frequently purchasing snacks and sugar-soft drinks from shops near school, most likely owing to availability of pocket money and an emerging independence. School authorities must focus upon satisfying canteen users by providing desirable, healthy, and affordable items in order to compete with the appeal of local shops.