Abstract
In North-East Italy (the Veneto region), several public school nutrition policies have been developed to reduce the consumption of high-caloric snacks and beverages. However, little is known about whether the policies actually influence students’ dietary behaviors. In order to address this point, a multi-center cross-sectional survey of 691 Italian students was conducted. Students completed the Beverage and Snack Questionnaire, which assesses the consumption of beverages and snacks at school and out of school. Three-level Poisson Models with random intercept with students (level 1 units) nested into classroom (level 2 units), and nested into schools (level 3 units), were used to examine the influence of the school setting vs. the out of school environment (independent variable) on students’ consumption of sweet beverages, snacks, milk-based beverages, low-carbohydrate drinks, fruit, and vegetables (dependent variable) (p ≤ 0.05). The results showed a significantly higher consumption of sweet beverages, snacks, milk-based beverages, low-carbohydrate drinks, fruit, and vegetables out-of-the school, suggesting a school-protective association Thus, the policies aimed to limit or deny access to unhealthy foods in the school environment may play an important role in promoting more healthful dietary patterns for school children. Additional studies should be conducted to compare students’ dietary behaviors between schools with nutrition policies to those without nutrition policies.
Highlights
According to the European Union (EU) Commission, in the last three decades, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the EU population has risen dramatically, among children
The participating schools were selected by the Regional School Coordination Office based on the following criteria: (i) prior endorsement of the “Regional guidelines for school catering” (Veneto Region, D.G.R. 31.12.2001 n. 3883); (ii) upholding a ban on vending machines and cafeterias for one scholastic year; (iii) implementation of at least one of the regional or national educational programs for “healthy eating” in collaboration with the competent local health authority; (iv) involvement in the national health program “frutta nelle scuole”1 implemented by Italian Ministry of Agriculture, aimed at encouraging students to consume seasonal fruit at break-time; (v) involvement in the national health program “forchetta e scarpetta”2 implemented by the Italian Ministry of Education; and (vi) provision of two daily meals: a morning snack and the lunch for all students
The objectives of the study were met by asking all students to complete the self-administered Beverage and Snack Questionnaire (BSQ), which assesses the consumption of beverage and snacks both at school and out of school
Summary
According to the European Union (EU) Commission, in the last three decades, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the EU population has risen dramatically, among children. The alarming trend in the prevalence of overweight and obesity is symptomatic of a worsening trend in diets and a low physical activity levels across the EU population. In Italy, the results of “OKKIO alla Salute,” the national surveillance program on overweight and obesity in children between 6 and 10 years of age, revealed that in 2014 about 33% of children were overweight or obese. Students’ consumption of beverages and snacks showed that parents underestimated the magnitude of the obesity problem, which could be associated with a lack of understanding of the health consequences of childhood obesity [2, 3]. Poor lifestyle habits are expected to increase the future risk of chronic diet and obesity-related conditions, while imposing a negative influence on both quality of life and life expectancy
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