Can School Feeding Programs Reduce Malnutrition in Rural China?

Free school meals and cognitive ability: Evidence from China's student nutrition improvement plan

The China Student Nutrition Improvement Plan (SNIP) covers 40.6 million students in the compulsory education stage, accounting for 42% of all students enrolled in rural compulsory education in 2021. This paper utilizes the county-by-county rollout of the SNIP and estimates the effect of this nutritional intervention on students' cognitive outcomes. We find that SNIP increases math test scores but has a statistically insignificant effect on verbal achievement. The effect is greater for middle school students and children from disadvantaged families. The SNIP affects the cognitive performance of students by improving their health status, increasing school attendance, fostering good study habits, raising educational expectations, and improving the human capital of peers.

Evaluation of food purchasing in the Brazilian School Feeding Programme: feasibility of the requirements and recommendations

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the purchase of food for school feeding, according to the extent and purpose of industrial processing and variety, exploring the feasibility of achieving the requirements and recommendations of the Brazilian School Feeding Programme, and the variety of unprocessed or minimally processed foods according to the purchase of ultra-processed foods.

DESIGN

Secondary data from 2016 from the Accountability Management System of the National Fund for Educational Development, concerning the food items purchased, were used to explore the feasibility of the requirements and recommendations. The foods were grouped according to the NOVA classification system. Variety was assessed by counting different types of unprocessed or minimally processed foods.

SETTING

Brazil.

PARTICIPANTS

3698 Brazilian municipalities.

RESULTS

Energy share from unprocessed or minimally processed foods was 44·1 % while that of ultra-processed foods was 29·9 %. The average of unprocessed or minimally processed food types purchased annually was 33·8 items. Of the municipalities, 35·8 % were within the limit established for the expenditure of funds for the purchase of processed and ultra-processed foods, while 8·7 % followed the recommendation for variety. The proportion of ultra-processed foods did not influence the variety of food items purchased.

CONCLUSIONS

The results showed the feasibility of achieving the requirements and recommendations and underscored the importance of continued efforts to promote the inclusion of unprocessed or minimally processed foods in the school feeding programme while addressing the challenges associated with expenditure limits of processed and ultra-processed foods and enhancing variety, which is strategic to promote adequate and healthy meals.

Systematic Literature Review of the Nutrient Status, Intake, and Diet Quality of Chinese Children across Different Age Groups

There is a lack of comprehensive reports on nutrient deficiencies and dietary intake among various age groups of children in China. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the nutrient status, intake, and diet adequacy of Chinese children (0-18 years old). PubMed and Scopus were searched for literature published between January 2010 and July 2022. A systematic review approach with a quality assessment was performed to analyze 2986 identified articles in English and Chinese. Eighty-three articles were included in the analysis. In younger children, anemia and iron and Vitamin A deficiencies remain severe public health problems, despite high Vitamin A and adequate iron intake. In older children, a high prevalence of selenium; Vitamin A and D deficiencies; and inadequate intakes of Vitamins A, D, B, C, selenium, and calcium were reported. Intakes of dairy, soybeans, fruits, and vegetables were below recommended levels. High intakes of iodine, total and saturated fat, and sodium and low dietary diversity scores were also reported. As nutritional concerns vary with age and region, future nutrition interventions should be tailored accordingly.

The perspective of meat and meat-alternative consumption in China

This study provides an overview of Chinese meat consumption based on literature review. China, having the largest mid-income population, has become the world's largest meat consumer. Its per capita meat consumption has been growing fast over the past decades to 49 kg, half of that of the US. Chinese consumers are aware of the environmental, health and animal welfare concerns, and can accept plant-based and lab cultured meats. Their adoption rate of these meat alternatives is low and their willingness-to-pay for them is also low from 5% below to 5% above conventional meat, compatible to the level in the US and EU countries. China, as an emerging economy, takes it as a serious challenge for food and nutrition security, where meat plays an indispensable role. Malnutrition still exists among children and the low-income population due to low meat intake. Government is playing an active role in boosting its domestic meat production to meet its market demand for more meat.

School Feeding Programs: What Happens Globally?

School feeding programs (SFPs) are an important effort to address food insecurity, improve nutritional education, and ultimately improve health outcomes. The objective of this research was to describe the nutritional, cultural, food safety, and agro-family participation of SFPs in different countries and observe the SFP in low-middle and high-income countries to establish disparities. The study followed documentary research of SFP official online resources complemented by a literature review. The programs were assessed in four criteria: (1) nutritional aspects, (2) cultural aspects, (3) food safety, and (4) agro-family participation. Out of 192 countries registered, 117 countries (60.93%) have an SFP, and only 8 (4.16%) do not have SFPs. A total of 67 countries (34.89%) did not have an official online resource and did not respond to follow-up emails. Out of the 117 countries with SFP, all of them had a detailed description of their nutritional aspects, cultural aspects (11.96%), food safety (16.23%), and agro-family participation (23.93%). Europe and Central Asia were the continents with the most comprehensive SFP. While most countries incorporate nutritional aspects and healthy food, cultural, food safety, and agro-family participation must be incorporated in their SPF to optimize children and adolescent development. Moreover, the study identified disparities across countries where the SFPs were identified in low-middle countries compared to middle- and high-income countries.

Eating disorders and needs of disabled children at primary school

AIM

The aim of this study was to provide current information on the eating disorders, needs and confronted problems of children with disabilities during their school hours at primary schools.

BACKGROUND

Eating disorders and needs of disabled children are important in their participation in school life, cognition, and academic achievement.

RESULTS

In this study, It was aimed to reach all children with disabilities attending at 72 primary schools located in low, medium and high socio-economic districts in Ankara, capital of Turkey; 404 parents voluntarly accepted to participate in the study. This study has revealed that students with disabilities experienced eating disorders such as forget to eat foods at feeding time, cannot go to canteen to buy food, have sucking and/or chewing problems, lack of self-care skills and need support while eating at schools. The percentage of children who had breakfast at school was 18.1%. The percentage of those who indicated that their child had lunch at school was 59.0%. The children from low socio-economic district had the highest percentage of adequate nutrition at schools in the last week. Families whose children having lack of self-care skills (50.0%), were picky eaters (38.5%), having lack of appetite (42.1%), experienced from constipation frequently (50.0%), have reflux problem (29.0%) considered that their children needed feeding supports at school.

CONCLUSION

Families whose children having eating disorders at schools considered that their children needed feeding supports. Fulfilling the needs of children with disability and providing them support as positive discrimination would ensure healthy development and participation in school life and generate positive effects on their academic achievement. The school health policies have to encompass nutritional needs of vulnerable children to benefit from right to education in an adequate and effective manner.