Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE), Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong3220, VIC, Australia.
Deakin Rural Health, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong3220, VIC, Australia.
Public Health Nutr. 2023 Nov;26(11):2559-2572. doi: 10.1017/S136898002300126X. Epub 2023 Jul 13.
Government policy guidance in Victoria, Australia, encourages schools to provide affordable, healthy foods in canteens. This study analysed the healthiness and price of items available in canteens in Victorian primary schools and associations with school characteristics.
Dietitians classified menu items (main, snack and beverage) using the red, amber and green traffic light system defined in the Victorian government's School Canteens and Other School Food Services Policy. This system also included a black category for confectionary and high sugar content soft drinks which should not be supplied. Descriptive statistics and regressions were used to analyse differences in the healthiness and price of main meals, snacks and beverages offered, according to school remoteness, sector (government and Catholic/independent) size, and socio-economic position.
State of Victoria, Australia.
A convenience sample of canteen menus drawn from three previous obesity prevention studies in forty-eight primary schools between 2016 and 2019.
On average, school canteen menus were 21 % 'green' (most healthy - everyday), 53 % 'amber' (select carefully), 25 % 'red' (occasional) and 2 % 'black' (banned) items, demonstrating low adherence with government guidelines. 'Black' items were more common in schools in regional population centres. 'Red' main meal items were cheaper than 'green'% (mean difference -$0·48 (95 % CI -0·85, -0·10)) and 'amber' -$0·91 (-1·27, -0·57)) main meal items. In about 50 % of schools, the mean price of 'red' main meal, beverages and snack items were cheaper than 'green' items, or no 'green' alternative items were offered.
In this sample of Victorian canteen menus, there was no evidence of associations of healthiness and pricing by school characteristics except for regional centres having the highest proportion of 'black' (banned) items compared with all other remoteness categories examined. There was low adherence with state canteen menu guidelines. Many schools offered a high proportion of 'red' food options and 'black' (banned) options, particularly in regional centres. Unhealthier options were cheaper than healthy options. More needs to be done to bring Victorian primary school canteen menus in line with guidelines.
澳大利亚维多利亚州政府的政策指导鼓励学校在食堂提供价格实惠、健康的食品。本研究分析了维多利亚州小学食堂供应的食品的健康状况和价格，并探讨了其与学校特征的关联。
营养师使用维多利亚州政府的《学校食堂和其他学校食品服务政策》中定义的红、黄、绿交通灯系统对菜单项目（主食、小吃和饮料）进行分类。该系统还包括一个黑类，用于禁止供应的糖果和高糖含量软饮料。采用描述性统计和回归分析，根据学校的偏远程度、部门（政府和天主教/独立）规模以及社会经济地位，分析主食、小吃和饮料的健康状况和价格差异。
澳大利亚维多利亚州。
从 2016 年至 2019 年进行的三项肥胖预防研究中抽取了 48 所小学食堂菜单的便利样本。
平均而言，学校食堂菜单中 21%为“绿色”（最健康——日常食用），53%为“黄色”（谨慎选择），25%为“红色”（偶尔食用），2%为“黑色”（禁止），表明政府指南的遵守程度较低。“黑色”食品在地区人口中心的学校更为常见。“红色”主食比“绿色”主食便宜（平均差异-0.48 美元[95%置信区间-0.85，-0.10]），“黄色”主食便宜-0.91 美元[-1.27，-0.57]）。在大约 50%的学校中，“红色”主食、饮料和小吃的平均价格比“绿色”主食便宜，或者没有提供“绿色”替代主食。
在本研究中，维多利亚州食堂菜单的样本中，除了与所有其他偏远程度类别相比，地区中心的“黑色”（禁止）食品比例最高外，没有证据表明健康状况和定价与学校特征有关。该州食堂菜单指南的遵守程度较低。许多学校提供了较高比例的“红色”食品和“黑色”（禁止）食品，特别是在地区中心。不健康的食品价格更便宜。需要采取更多措施，使维多利亚州小学食堂菜单符合指南要求。
