Center for Health Inclusion, Research, and Practice (CHIRP), Merrimack College, North Andover, MA 01845, USA.
Program in Nutrition, Department of Health and Behavioral Studies, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
Nutrients. 2022 Nov 1;14(21):4596. doi: 10.3390/nu14214596.
In the United States, many children who come from low-income backgrounds and experience food insecurity do not take and eat school lunch, despite it being a nutritious meal. Teachers could play a role in encouraging students' consumption of school lunch; however, teachers in America are traditionally uninvolved in the lunch period. The purpose of this research was to understand the resources kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) teachers need to encourage students to take and eat school lunch. Two data collection workshops and semi-structured follow-up interviews were conducted with K-12 teachers. The workshops and interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for salient themes. Ten teachers participated in the workshops and six teachers participated in the follow-up interviews. In general, teachers believe school meals are essential for students' focus and behavior in the classroom. However, to encourage students to take and eat school lunch, teachers need support and resources. From the workshops and interviews, three themes emerged: (1) improvements in the food quality; (2) school community support; and (3) professional development. The data suggests professional development is the greatest resource teachers need, as professional development can enhance teachers' motivation to advocate for better food quality and engage school community support. Greater teacher involvement in school lunch could lay the groundwork for future healthier generations.
在美国，许多来自低收入家庭且面临食物不足问题的儿童没有选择食用学校提供的午餐，尽管这是一顿营养丰富的餐食。教师可以在鼓励学生食用学校午餐方面发挥作用；然而，美国的教师传统上不参与午餐时间。本研究旨在了解幼儿园至十二年级（K-12）教师鼓励学生食用学校午餐所需的资源。本研究对 K-12 教师进行了两次数据收集研讨会和半结构化后续访谈。研讨会和访谈进行了录音、转录和分析，以提取突出主题。十名教师参加了研讨会，六名教师参加了后续访谈。总的来说，教师认为学校餐食对于学生在课堂上的注意力和行为至关重要。然而，要鼓励学生食用学校午餐，教师需要支持和资源。从研讨会和访谈中得出三个主题：（1）提高食品质量；（2）学校社区支持；以及（3）专业发展。数据表明，专业发展是教师最需要的资源，因为专业发展可以增强教师对改善食品质量和争取学校社区支持的积极性。教师更多地参与学校午餐可以为未来更健康的一代奠定基础。
