Provision Of Meals Research Articles

Policies, Multi-Stakeholder Approaches and Home-Grown School Feeding Programs for Improving Quality, Equity and Sustainability of School Meals in Northern Tanzania

Malnutrition among children of school-going age is a challenge of serious concern in developing countries especially Sub-Saharan Africa. Many programs focus on mothers and under-5-year-old children, leaving the school going age unattended. It has been shown that school meals can reduce school absenteeism, improve concentration in class and reduce early dropouts. In Tanzania, successful home-grown school feeding programs are localized in few areas but have not been scaled-out. The objective of this study was to analyze the policy and organizational environment which enables or promotes home-grown school feeding approaches. The study consisted of a systematic review, key informant interviews and focus group discussions in Arumeru and Babati Districts, Tanzania. In total, 21 key informant interviews with 27 participants and 27 focus group discussions with 217 participants were conducted. The results show that Tanzania lacks a clear policy on school feeding; there are no guidelines for school meal quality, participation in school feeding programs is not mandatory, leading to many students being left out and going hungry. Students in private schools tend to be better off than those in public schools in terms of provision and quality of school meals. We recommend that policies and practices are developed based on positive experiences of home-grown school feeding programs implemented in Tanzania by the World Food Programme and Project Concern International and emphasize that these policies need to be developed in a multi-sectoral manner. A conceptual framework for improving home-grown school feeding in public schools in Tanzania highlights four critical components: leadership and public awareness; operational modalities; contributions from parents; and meal diversity and nutrition. The home-grown school feeding model provides mechanisms to improve diversity of meals and their nutritional value, increase participation of communities and inclusion of students. Parents will still be responsible for the largest part of food supplies, but the model also requires participation of multiple stakeholders, and provision of natural resources such as land and water by the local government for production of nutritious food for young students. Minimum levels of social protection are recommended to ensure that no student is denied school meals.

Universal Free Meals Associated with Lower Meal Costs While Maintaining Nutritional Quality.

The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 allows the provision of universal free meals (UFMs) in high-poverty school areas. Participation in UFM programs, including through CEP, could reduce meal costs due to economies of scale and a lower administrative burden. We analyzed the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study (SNMCS) data from 508 UFM-eligible schools (103 UFMs) to evaluate whether meal costs varied by UFM status. We used school-level data to address the non-random selection to UFMs with inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). We estimated a generalized linear model with a log link and gamma distribution to predict meal costs by UFM status and school size. Full costs among medium and large schools were marginally lower in UFM schools for lunch (−$0.673; 95% CI: −1.395, 0.0499; p = 0.068) and significantly lower for breakfast (−$0.575; 95% CI: −1.077, −0.074; p = 0.025). UFM was not associated with meal costs among smaller schools. Healthy Eating Index scores did not vary significantly by UFMs, suggesting that lower costs could be achieved without an adverse effect on nutritional quality. This analysis is limited by the lack of identified student percentage (ISP) data needed to definitively identify CEP eligibility, although results were robust to sensitivity analyses addressing the lack of ISP data. The potential policy impact of these findings emphasizes the need for future studies that assess ISP and cost with more recent data and longitudinal designs.

COVID Social Distancing and the Poor: An Analysis of the Evidence for England

Abstract Social distancing is a matter of individuals’ choices as well as of regulation. We analyse weekly panel data on such behaviour for English Upper Tier Local Authorities (UTLAs) from March to July 2020, paying attention to the influence of poverty, as measured by free school meals provision. Panel regressions suggest that, although more stringent regulation and slightly lagged local cases of infection increase social distancing, both effects are weaker in UTLAs with higher levels of poverty, in part because of poor housing, and also because shortage of money has forced the poor to keep working. Thus motivated, we develop a two-class (rich/poor) model, in which a Nash non-cooperative equilibrium arises from individual choices in a regulatory regime with penalties for non-compliance. The model yields results in keeping with the empirical findings, indicating the desirability of generous measures to furlough workers in low-paid jobs as a complement to the stringency of general regulation.

Case Study: Free Lunch Meals Provision during the Remote Learning Conditions.

School meals for grade 1 to 4 pupils in Latvia are financed by the government, but with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, and following the remote learning process, there were problems related to the delivery of these meals for pupils. The current situation in Latvia has been exacerbated again due to the spread of the pandemic; there is a great necessity to find well-thought-out solutions to ensure school lunches outside the school. The aim of this study was to develop recommendation-based one-week food packs for grade 1 to 4 pupils, providing the necessary amount of nutrients and energy. Four food packs were designed to provide five-day lunch meals for pupils, preparing a warm lunch at home. Protein, fat, saturated fatty acids, carbohydrates, sugar, dietary fiber, sodium, salt and calcium content of meals were analyzed according to standard methods. During the project, the most appropriate solution for food packs was explored. The four designed food packs will provide support to municipalities, because the composition of food packs complies with the nutrition and energy value regulation and does not exceed the planned budget. Parents will receive the developed recipe book in addition to a one-week food pack.

地域が主体となる子どもの生活習慣応援事業（子ども食堂）における食事提供と学生ボランティア活動の現状と課題

地域が主体となる子どもの生活習慣応援事業（子ども食堂）における食事提供と学生ボランティア活動の現状と課題

A Literature Review of Academic Performance, an Insight into Factors and their Influences on Academic Outcomes of Students at Senior High Schools

The good academic performance of students at the Senior High School is of paramount importance in every educational system. Meanwhile, numerous factors influence the academic performance of students and have been researched, but many problems persist. A literature review in this area would provide the gaps and areas that need more research and will go a long way to curb the situation. The current paper used a narrative review method to review the literature on the academic performance of students at Senior High Schools and various factors affecting students’ performance. The paper elucidated how these factors negatively affect academic performance and the need for them to be minimized to improve students’ academic performance. The study found out that, truancy affects academic performance drastically and sometimes even leads to school dropout. Also, the study found out that other factors such as students’ parental levels of education and income, textbooks availability and accessibility, libraries, practical laboratory, meals provision and teachers have tremendous effects on the academic performance of students at school. Students who are above average academically and are positively exposed to these factors are likely to perform better as compared to those who are less exposed to these factors. The study recommends that factors such as truancy, parental levels of education and income, textbooks availability and accessibility, libraries, practical laboratory, meals provision and teachers should be regularly monitored and adjusted to meet students’ needs and aspirations. This will go a long way to improve the academic performance of students and hence allow them to achieve their aims in life.

Meal Provision in Early Childhood Education and Care Programs: Association with Geographic Disadvantage, Social Disadvantage, Cost, and Market Competition in an Australian Population

Meal Provision in Early Childhood Education and Care Programs: Association with Geographic Disadvantage, Social Disadvantage, Cost, and Market Competition in an Australian Population

Free School Meals and Governmental Responsibility for Food Provision

In Summer 2020 when the UK government announced that it would be stopping the provision of free school meals in England over the summer holidays the announcement was met with public outcry. When the UK government then u-turned on that policy decision this outcome was attributed to a successful online campaign led by footballer Marcus Rashford. In the background human rights lawyers had issued a judicial review pre-action protocol to the Secretary of State for Education. When the UK government reversed the decision on free school meals the legal proceedings were halted and, as a result, potentially significant legal precedent was lost. This comment sets out the legal grounds against the UK government in respect of not providing free school meals in England that may be of renewed and wider relevance in the future.

Perspective: Guidelines Needed for the Conduct of Human Nutrition Randomized Controlled Trials

ABSTRACTGuidelines for designing, conducting, documenting, and reporting human nutrition randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have as yet to be developed and disseminated as reference for investigators, funders, regulators, institutions, assessors, trainees, and others involved in human nutrition research. Diet-related interventions can include diet and/or behavioral manipulation, provision of foods or entire meals, or delivery of dietary components in individual food items or supplements. This Perspective introduces a series of papers that outline core principles for the design and conduct of human nutrition RCTs, documentation and reporting of all aspects of clinical trial management, and data analysis and reporting of results. Human nutrition RCTs have unique considerations delineated in these papers. Conducting them with the highest scientific rigor is essential to the development of evidence-based dietary guidance for promoting optimal health and advancing health care.

Influenza Outbreak and a Group Meal in a Geriatric Long-term Care Facility in Japan.

Influenza outbreaks at geriatric long-term care facilities (g-LTCFs) can be deadly and their prevention is important. However, the factors influencing disease transmission in g-LTCFs remain controversial. In this descriptive study, we tried to identify the potential risk factors influencing influenza outbreaks that occurred in different influenza seasons within a single g-LTCF with 100 residents in Gunma Prefecture. We reviewed the detailed facility records for all influenza cases in both residents and staff between January 2012 and June 2020. Facility preventive measures were also reviewed. We found that community meals may have been a potential source of transmission leading to the outbreaks. When influenza infection is noted, implementation of strict preventive measures and restriction of meal provision to resident rooms may help to prevent disease transmission and the development of an outbreak. Such measures may also be useful to prevent the transmission of other serious droplet-borne diseases within g-LTCFs.

Influence of School Feeding Programme on Acquisition of Competencies in Class Activities Among Pre-Primary School Pupils in Belgut Sub-County, Kenya

Feeding programmes are critical for quality education to be realized in all learning institutions starting from Pre-primary to higher levels globally. When there is no provision of meals to children in school, they lack the energy to concentrate in classroom and co-curricular activities. It also weakens their intellectual ability and may hinder the development of competencies among pre-primary school learners. In this study, it was assumed that the provision of meals to pupils in school influences the acquisition of competencies among the learners. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to establish the influence of School Feeding Programmes on the acquisition of competencies in classroom activities among the learners in pre-primary schools in Belgut Sub-County, Kericho County. The study was guided by Abraham Maslow’s theory of the hierarchy of needs, as it stresses the fundamental requirements of basic needs (food), which increases the satisfaction of an individual (learner). The study used a descriptive survey design with a population of 85 pre-primary schools. Headteachers were eighty-five (85) and pre-primary school teachers were one hundred and seventy (170), giving a total of 255 respondents. A sample size of 189 respondents was derived comprising of 70 headteachers and 119 pre-primary school teachers. The study employed stratified random sampling to draw respondents from the target population. The instruments used to collect data were questionnaires and interview schedules for teachers and headteachers respectively. The analysis of the collected data was done using descriptive and inferential statistics. Inferential statistics were used to show the relationship between the dependent and the independent variables and was presented in form of correlation analysis. The study findings revealed that children who are consistently provided with meals in school concentrated well in class activities. There existed a significant correlation (p<0.05) between competencies in classroom activities and school feeding programmes. The school feeding programmes enabled learners to actively participate and concentrate on school activities and enhanced competency acquisition. Some of the recommendations were that the county and national government need to fully implement the school feeding programmes and that the sustainability of the programme is vital to increased competency acquisition rate among Pre-Primary school learners.

Development of HM Government example menus for early years’ settings in England

AbstractEarly childhood is a critical time for growth and development, but diets of young children in England are not fully in line with dietary recommendations, and childhood obesity is a national and international concern. The importance of early years’ settings in promoting healthy food choices and helping to prevent obesity has been highlighted, and the extension in entitlement to funded early education and childcare in England over recent years provides an opportunity to encourage more children to develop good eating habits. Food provision in early years’ settings is required to be ‘healthy, balanced and nutritious’, and voluntary food and drink guidelines were published in 2012 to support settings in England to meet this requirement. However, since these guidelines were developed, revised Dietary Reference Values for energy, sugars and dietary fibre have been published. As part of the government's Childhood obesity: A plan for action, Public Health England commissioned the Children's Food Trust to produce example menus for early years’ settings, to support provision of meals and snacks meeting current dietary recommendations. A multi‐sectoral external reference group was convened and advised on the protocol for developing two seasonal example menus, including revising the underpinning nutrient framework for 1‐4 year‐olds, and developing an appropriate framework for infants aged 6–12 months, as previous menus did not cater for this age group. This article describes the process of developing the example menus and associated guidance, which have since been published by HM Government, and offers recommendations for effective implementation.

Feeding Students During COVID-19—Related School Closures: A Nationwide Assessment of Initial Responses

ObjectiveTo conduct a nationwide assessment of child nutrition administrative agencies’ responses to meal service provision during coronavirus disease 2019–related school closures. DesignSystematic coding of government websites (February–May 2020) regarding school meal provision in all 50 US states and the District of Columbia, 5 US territories, and the US Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Education. ParticipantsAll US jurisdictions (N = 57). Variables MeasuredSeven coding criteria were established to assess the strengths and weaknesses of jurisdictions’ responses derived from emergency declarations, school closure announcements, and government websites on emergency school meals. AnalysisDescriptive analyses. ResultsMost jurisdictions mentioned school meal provisions in school closure announcements (76.4%), provided easily interpretable information and/or maps about meal sites (57.9%), and included detailed information about school meal provisions in their coronavirus disease 2019 landing webpages (n = 26, 51%). Fewer provided updated and comprehensive implementation guidance (39.3%), referenced school closures in emergency declarations (37.5%), had clear communication/outreach to families (21.4%), or partnered with antihunger organizations (11.6%). Conclusions and ImplicationsUnderstanding initial jurisdictions’ approaches are critical to current and future emergency planning during school closures and reopening to help address food insecurity better, limit disease transmission, and prevent health disparities, particularly among at-risk populations.

Assessing the Impact of Public-Private Funded Midday Meal Programs on the Educational Attainment and Well-being of School Children in Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract
 The provision of meals at schools is considered to have the potential to enhance human dignity and facilitate equitable access to students from low socio-economic backgrounds, low social status (including Caste) and poor households. Using students and teachers from public schools in Utter Pradesh also known to be India’s most populous and poorest state as it’s as its unit of analysis, the paper examines the impact on International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) led Midday Meal (MDM) School Feeding program in India on educational access, performance, participation, and wellbeing. The study sought to evaluate the implementation of the midday meal (MDM) program led by an INGO in Lucknow, Utter Pradesh, and India to ascertain if the strategic program implementation protocols also ensure social inclusion and held address various forms of discrimination commonly reported in the literature. The study revealed that students were satisfied with most of the implementation of the program, serving and food satisfaction indicators. Nevertheless, we argue that the implantation process could benefit from a more integrated inter-agency coordination so as to address concerns regarding at-risk children and improve sanitation and health facilities that are not directly associated with the MDM program. The study concludes that INGOs led MDM programs could serve as a model for inclusive and non-discriminatory school feeding system where all children, irrespective of their social, economic, religious and family backgrounds will equally benefit with dignity. Such an approach, we argue, could also enhance social equity, youth development and the attainment of the SDG targets in India.

The influence of fortified food products on dietary iron, iodine, and zinc content in Tajik schoolchildren

Introduction. The objective of the study is an assessment of dietary iron, iodine, and zinc content in school dinners in Tajik schoolchildren, as well as the influence of the use of fortified products supplied by the UN World Food Programme. Material and methods. The investigation is performed in two types of schools located in Penjikent and Ayni regions of the Tajikistan Republic. Type 1 schools were not involved in the program of school nutrition improvement, whereas type 2 schools took part in the WFP UN program on the supply of fortified products, as well as the governmental program on improvement of infrastructure and provision of hot meals. Results and discussion. Iron, iodine, and zinc content in fortified wheat flour supplied by WFP UN exceeded the respective values of the local product by a factor of 2.3, 14, and 4.7. Iodized salt (WFP UN) was characterized by an 11-fold increase in iodine content as compared to the locally used salt. The use of fortified wheat flour and iodized salt in type 2 schools for the preparation of school dinners should provide an increased dietary intake of iron, iodine, and zinc by a factor of 2.5, 12, and 4, when compared to type 1 schools, respectively. Conclusion. Therefore, WFP UN along with governmental efforts aimed at improvement of school meals provided from 50% to 100% of the recommended dietary allowance for iron and zinc, whereas in the case of iodine even exceeded recommended values, being indicative of the efficiency of the efforts. At the same time, such programs should be supported by trace element monitoring in the organism for assessment of both efficiency and safety.

Identifying implementation gaps and priorities for the Singapore government to improve food environment policies: perspectives from a local expert panel.

Singapore, an urbanised, developed nation, with a high reliance on food importation and a high prevalence of eating out is facing rising rates of obesity and diabetes. The objective of the current study was to characterise and evaluate the Singapore government's policies to improve the food environment and to identify and prioritise concrete actions. The Healthy Food Environment Policy Index tool and process were used. An expert panel rated the Singapore government's implementation of forty-seven indicators compared with international best practice in 2018. Indicators were prioritised, and specific recommendations were proposed by panel. Singapore. Twenty experts primarily from academia. As compared with international benchmarks, the level of implementation of most indicators (thirty-three indicators, 70 %) by the Singapore government was evaluated as being at least moderate. Highly rated indicators included those related to provision of healthier meals at school, supporting the use of healthier ingredients by food vendors and governmental leadership. More policy indicators (6, 26 %) as compared with infrastructure support indicators (2, 8 %) received a 'very little or no implementation' rating. After rating, the experts prioritised eleven indicators and proposed thirty-one actions informed by several considerations including those of effectiveness, political acceptability, feasibility and unique characteristics of food retail in Singapore. Supported by documented evidence, an independent expert panel identified areas of strengths and provided specific recommendations to meaningfully improve the Singapore food environment to facilitate healthier eating. Fundamental recommendations including improving nutrition profiling and strengthening monitoring systems have the potential to positively influence environments across policy domains.

Educando para a formação de hábitos alimentares saudáveis

No Brasil a oferta de alimentação escolar principalmente na década de 1950, tinha por objetivo atender principalmente as crianças das escolas públicas, que devido a fatores econômicos apresentam altas taxas de desnutrição, e com isso se caracterizava como assistencialista. No entanto no final da década de 1990, a alimentação escolar, passa a ser compreendida enquanto direito humano garantido pela Constituição Brasileira, e do Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente (ECA). Incorporado a este direito o conceito de segurança alimentar, ou seja, a busca pela garantia da alimentação humana de qualidade. Nesse contexto a escola tem papel essencial, na medida em que tem por função a formação integral do individuo, ofertando e educando para a formação de hábitos alimentares saudáveis, garantindo qualidade de vida, tendo em vista os documentos orientadores como Lei de Diretrizes e Bases da Educação Nacional (LDBEN), bem como os Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais (PCN´s). Assim este trabalho tem por intuito discutir a importância da formação nutricional dos escolares para uma vida saudável.

Addressing Food Insecurity through a Health Equity Lens: a Case Study of Large Urban School Districts during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Reduced access to school meals during public health emergencies can accelerate food insecurity and nutritional status, particularly for low-income children in urban areas. To prevent the exacerbation of health disparities, there is a need to understand the implementation of meal distribution among large urban school districts during emergencies and to what degree these strategies provide equitable meal access. Our case study of four large urban school districts during the COVID-19 pandemic aims to address these knowledge gaps. Guided by the Getting to Equity (GTE) framework, we conducted a mixed-methods study evaluating emergency meal distribution and strategy implementation in four large urban school districts (Chicago Public Schools, Houston Independent School District, Los Angeles Unified School District, and New York City Department of Education). We gathered data from school district websites on (1) meal service and delivery sites and (2) district documents, policies, communication, and resources. Using qualitative coding approaches, we identified unique and shared district strategies to address meal distribution and communications during the pandemic according to the four components of the GTE framework: increase healthy options, reduce deterrents, build on community capacity, and increase social and economic resources. We matched district census tract boundaries to demographic data from the 2018 American Community Survey and United States Department of Agriculture food desert data, and used geographic information systems (GIS) software to identify meal site locations relative to student population, areas of high poverty and high minority populations, and food deserts. We found that all districts developed strategies to optimize meal provision, which varied across case site. Strategies to increase healthy options included serving adults and other members of the general public, providing timely information on meal site locations, and promoting consumption of a balanced diet. The quantity and frequency of meals served varied, and the degree to which districts promoted high-quality nutrition was limited. Reducing deterrents related to using inclusive language and images and providing safety information on social distancing practices in multiple languages. Districts built community capacity through partnering with first responder, relief, and other community organizations. Increased social and economic resources were illustrated by providing technology assistance to families, childcare referrals for essential workers, and other wellness resources. Geospatial analysis suggests that service locations across cities varied to some degree by demographics and food environment, with potential gaps in reach. This study identifies strategies that have the potential to increase equitable access to nutrition assistance programs. Our findings can support (1) ongoing efforts to address child food insecurity during the pandemic and (2) future meal provision through programs like the Summer Food Service Program and Seamless Summer Option. Future research should further examine the rationale behind meal site placement and how site availability changed over time.

COVID-19

Introduction: The global pandemic for the new coronavirus has had repercussions in all areas of human activities. Health services are essential for serving the population. However, workers in this sector also deserve attention, the provision of meals being one of those precautions.Aims: This study aims to publicize the actions related to the development of a contingency plan and the provision of meals to workers at a public university hospital in southern Brazil during the coronavirus pandemic.Methods: Study design: descriptive observational. This case study evaluates for the period from March to June 2020 on the evolution of contingency plans in order to guarantee the provision of adequate food and preserve the health of workers in the cafeteria space.Results: The hospital cafeteria served, on average, more than 2,500 lunches before the COVID-19 pandemic began in Brazil. Actions developed by the hospital administration allowed remote work by workers. However, an average of 1,500 lunches is still served daily. In this study, the actions are presented in order to guarantee an adequate environment that does not transmit outbreaks to workers in the hospital environment. Among some actions are issues of menu pattern, guidance, and mandatory handwashing by all users, visual signage on-site, and the internal website, among others.Conclusions: The actions have been effective since there are no records of a COVID-19 outbreak among hospital workers.

Relationship between maternal healthy eating literacy and healthy meal provision in families in Japan.

This study examined the effects of maternal healthy eating literacy (HEL) on healthy meal provision in Japanese families. We conducted an online cross-sectional survey with 1899 mothers of pre-school children. Participants were divided into two groups based on their median score of eating out and consuming convenience foods, and demographic variables were compared between these groups. We assessed associations between HEL and healthy meal provision using Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) and multiple linear regression with healthy meal provision as the dependent variable and HEL as the independent variable, adjusting for age, education, work styles, household income, number of children and whether participants lived with a partner. Mothers exhibiting high scores on eating out/consuming convenience foods were more likely to be employed (p = 0.004), have only one child (p = 0.034), have lower education (p=0.011) and exhibit lower healthy meal provision (p < 0.001) and HEL scores (p < 0.001). In addition, HEL was associated with healthy meal provision (β = 0.34, p < 0.001). Among mothers with higher scores on eating out/consuming convenience foods, HEL was associated with healthy meal provision (β = 0.32, p < 0.001). This study suggests that maternal HEL is associated with healthy meal provision regardless of the degree of eating out/consuming convenience food. Thus, interventions to improve maternal HEL can help mothers to provide healthy meals when they eat out or consume convenience foods as family meals.