Changes in dietary pattern in 15 year old adolescents following a 4 month dietary intervention with school breakfast – a pilot study

BACKGROUND: Few studies on impact of meals served in school have been published. However, implications of school meals are an actual issue of both public and political concern in several countries. The objective of this study was to evaluate if breakfast served in a lower secondary school could improve dietary habits and school performance among the students. METHODS: All students in 10th grade in a lower secondary school, consisting of two school classes, were invited to participate in a controlled study. The students in one class were offered a free breakfast at the beginning of each school day for 4 months, while the students in the second class were controls. Both classes were educated in the importance of healthy eating, and a data program enabling them to evaluate dietary intake was introduced. The students answered two questionnaires, one on school performance and one short food frequency questionnaire, four weeks before study start and one week after. Body weight and height were measured by the school nurse at the beginning and end of the study. Because of few students in each group, non-parametrical statistic analyses were used. RESULTS: All students in the intervention group had breakfast at school during the intervention. One week after the intervention the students in the class who received breakfast had returned to their normal breakfast pattern. In the control group the frequency of a lunch intake had increase, as compared to before study start (p < 0.01). An improved food pattern was seen among the male students in the intervention group, as measured by a healthy eating index after the intervention (p < 0.01). Body Mass Index increased statistically significant in both males and females in the control group (p < 0,01 for males and p < 0.05 for females), but not in the intervention group. Improvement in school performance following school breakfast was not found, but the males in the intervention group reported a significant increase in school contentment (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In a lower secondary school class served breakfast for 4 months, dietary intake changed to a more healthy profile and weight gain was reduce

The Challenge of Teaching Food and Health in the First Four Years of Primary School in Norway

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Serving of free school lunch to secondary-school pupils - a pilot study with health implications

Published version of an article from the journal Public Health Nutrition, Copyright Cambridge University Press. Article also available from publisher: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1368980009990772Objective: To study whether service of a free school lunch has an impact on weight development and food intake among pupils at a lower secondary school, and to assess the association between self-perceived school behaviour and food intake. Design: A controlled intervention study involving service of a free healthy school lunch to 9th grade pupils took place over 4 months, from January to May 2007. Weight and height were measured before and after the intervention. The pupils also completed a short FFQ and a questionnaire concerning self-perceived school behaviour and the classroom environment before and after the intervention. A healthy food score was calculated using the FFQ data. Setting: All 9th graders at three different lower secondary schools in southern Norway were invited to participate. One school was randomly selected as the intervention school. Subjects: Fifty-eight pupils (91 %) from the intervention school and ninety-two pupils (77 %) from the control schools participated. Results: BMI did not increase among the girls at the intervention school, but increased significantly among the boys at the intervention school and among the control school groups. The healthy food score correlated positively with the trait ‘satisfied with schoolwork’ (P,0?001). Fifteen per cent of the variance in food score could be explained by gender and the trait ‘satisfied with schoolwork’. Conclusions: Serving of a healthy free school lunch to secondary-school pupils may result in restricted weight gain. Further studies are needed to clarify the impact of school meals on overweight and academic performance

The Covid-19 Pandemic - Experiences and Expectations About Attending International Seminars and Conferences Among Teacher Educators

During the Covid-19 pandemic, several international physical face-to-face conferences have been cancelled, and often substituted by online events. This situation may have led to different experiences among teacher educators and influenced their considerations on whether to travel to future conferences. The purpose of this study is to understand what factors are affecting teacher educators’ willingness to attend in-person or online conferences in the future. This study reports findings from an online questionnaire given to a strategic selection of respondents. All are teacher educators at universities and university colleges in Nordic countries, researching, publishing in international journals, and attending teacher education-related Nordic and international seminars and conferences. The qualitative data from the questionnaire are analyzed using a content analysis approach. The analysis revealed the university teacher educators’ goals for attending and how missing conferences during the pandemic influenced their professional situation. Considerations about attending in-person or online conferences in the future are presented

The Covid-19 Pandemic - Experiences and Expectations about Attending International Seminars and Conferences Among Teacher Educators

While the DOI not has been activated yet, the paper can already be read on the JISTE webside: https://journals.library.brocku.ca/index.php/jiste/article/view/4007/During the Covid-19 pandemic, several international physical face-to-face conferences have been cancelled, and often substituted by online events. This situation may have led to different experiences among teacher educators and influenced their considerations on whether to travel to future conferences. The purpose of this study is to understand what factors are affecting teacher educators’ willingness to attend in-person or online conferences in the future. This study reports findings from an online questionnaire given to a strategic selection of respondents. All are teacher educators at universities and university colleges in Nordic countries, researching, publishing in international journals, and attending teacher education-related Nordic and international seminars and conferences. The qualitative data from the questionnaire are analyzed using a content analysis approach. The analysis revealed the university teacher educators’ goals for attending and how missing conferences during the pandemic influenced their professional situation. Considerations about attending in-person or online conferences in the future are presented.publishedVersio

Changes in dietary pattern in 15 year old adolescents following a 4 month dietary intervention with school breakfast – a pilot study

Abstract Background Few studies on impact of meals served in school have been published. However, implications of school meals are an actual issue of both public and political concern in several countries. The objective of this study was to evaluate if breakfast served in a lower secondary school could improve dietary habits and school performance among the students. Methods All students in 10th grade in a lower secondary school, consisting of two school classes, were invited to participate in a controlled study. The students in one class were offered a free breakfast at the beginning of each school day for 4 months, while the students in the second class were controls. Both classes were educated in the importance of healthy eating, and a data program enabling them to evaluate dietary intake was introduced. The students answered two questionnaires, one on school performance and one short food frequency questionnaire, four weeks before study start and one week after. Body weight and height were measured by the school nurse at the beginning and end of the study. Because of few students in each group, non-parametrical statistic analyses were used. Results All students in the intervention group had breakfast at school during the intervention. One week after the intervention the students in the class who received breakfast had returned to their normal breakfast pattern. In the control group the frequency of a lunch intake had increase, as compared to before study start (p Conclusion In a lower secondary school class served breakfast for 4 months, dietary intake changed to a more healthy profile and weight gain was reduced.</p

The challenge of teaching food and health in the first four years of primary school in Norway

publishedVersio

The challenge of teaching food and health in the first four years of primary school in Norway

publishedVersio