Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA.
Global Environmental Health Research Laboratory, Indiana University-Bloomington School of Public Health, Bloomington, IN, USA.
Food Nutr Bull. 2022 Dec;43(4):439-464. doi: 10.1177/03795721221116447. Epub 2022 Aug 21.
Schools can play an important role in promoting healthy child diet and body weight. However, this issue is understudied in Latin American and other populations undergoing nutrition and epidemiologic transition.
2018 Ecuadorian National Health and Nutrition Survey data were used to examine the association of school food sources with healthy and unhealthy food intake and body mass index (BMI) in primary (n = 12632) and secondary students (n = 6617).
Data on school food environment characteristics were collected by questionnaire, intakes of fruits, vegetables, plain water, sweetened beverages, processed snacks, and fast foods by food frequency questionnaire, and BMI using measured weight and height. Data were analyzed using multivariable methods.
The major school food sources were competitive foods sold by commercial outlets (73%), School Breakfast Program (SBP; 52%), and home-packed items (37%). Most (69%) competitive food outlets sold fruits and vegetables but only 44% offered free clean drinking water and 60% sold prohibited "red traffic light" foods. Primary and secondary students who bought competitive foods consumed sweetened beverages, processed snacks, and fast food more frequently than nonpurchasers ( = .0001). Those who packed home foods had higher fruit and vegetable intakes ( = .0001). Plain water intakes were reduced among all SBP participants ( = .0001). However, primary students in the SBP consumed fast foods less frequently ( = .0001) and had lower average BMI and odds for being obese compared to nonparticipants ( = .0001).
The findings from this nationally representative study underscore the important contribution of the school food environment to child nutrition.
学校可以在促进儿童健康饮食和控制体重方面发挥重要作用。然而，在拉丁美洲和其他经历营养与流行病学转变的人群中，这一问题的研究还不够充分。
利用 2018 年厄瓜多尔国家健康和营养调查的数据，研究了学校食物来源与小学生（n=12632）和中学生（n=6617）的健康和不健康食物摄入以及体重指数（BMI）之间的关系。
通过问卷调查收集学校食物环境特征数据，使用食物频率问卷收集水果、蔬菜、白开水、甜饮料、加工零食和快餐的摄入量，并使用测量的体重和身高计算 BMI。采用多变量方法进行数据分析。
学校食物的主要来源是商业网点销售的竞争食品（73%）、学校早餐计划（SBP；52%）和自带食物（37%）。大多数（69%）竞争食品销售点销售水果和蔬菜，但只有 44%提供免费清洁饮用水，60%销售禁止的“红色交通灯”食品。购买竞争食品的小学生和中学生比非购买者更频繁地消费甜饮料、加工零食和快餐（P<0.0001）。自带食物的学生水果和蔬菜摄入量更高（P<0.0001）。所有 SBP 参与者的白开水摄入量均减少（P<0.0001）。然而，SBP 中的小学生食用快餐的频率较低（P<0.0001），且平均 BMI 较低，肥胖的可能性也较低（P<0.0001）。
这项具有全国代表性的研究结果强调了学校食物环境对儿童营养的重要贡献。
