[Cafeterias service and health promotion in the school context].

OBJECTIVE

To assess the Secondary Schools (IES) cafeterias of Andalusia as services to promote healthy eating among students as well as to check the adequacy of the food supply to the Law on Food Security and Spanish Nutrition, and the knowledge of this law by the school managers.

DESIGN

Observational descriptive transversal study.

LOCATION

IES of Andalusia's eight provinces.

PARTICIPANTS

Cafeteria services. Stratified random sample with proportional allocation by province and size of habitat of 95 Andalusian IES with+10% error and confidence level (NC) 95.5.

MAIN MEASUREMENTS

Implementation of the Healthy Food Promotion Guide, validated through a Delphi group, which collects information on: the food supply, the location of the food products and the advertising on healthy eating. Structured interview with a member of the management team.

RESULTS

In 84.9% of the cafeterias a deficient healthy eating habits promotion is observed. 100% of the cafeterias offer a wide variety of non-recommended products (candy, soda, snack chips, industrial bakery) breaching the provisions of the Law on Food Safety and Nutrition. 33.68% of the interviewees claim to know the existence of this law.

CONCLUSIONS

Andalusian IES cafeterias do not promote healthy eating. It can be affirmed that the law has had little impact during its first year. It is a priority to introduce measures in conformity with the law and with recent research in order to promote a healthy school environment.