Nutritional environment at secondary schools in Bloemfontein, South Africa

Objective: The objective was to determine the nutritional environment at secondary schools in Bloemfontein, Free State province.Design: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study.Subjects and setting: The subjects were secondary school principals in Bloemfontein, Free State province, in 2006.Method: Principals of 10 secondary schools who were already participating in a larger study on 26 schools completed structured questionnaireson nutrition practices.Results: Four schools utilised nutrition education programmes. None had vending machines. Two schools sold dairy products. Biscuits andchocolates were sold at eight schools, and sweets, crisps and fast food at all of the schools.Conclusion: The nutrition environment at Bloemfontein secondary schools does not support healthy eating habits. Nutrition policies need tobe introduced to improve the nutritional environment at schools as the available food for learners at the tuck shops and/or via the vendorswas mostly unhealthy

Nutritional environment at secondary schools in Bloemfontein, South Africa

Abstract "Objective: The objective was to determine the nutritional environment at secondary schools in Bloemfontein, Free State province." "Design: This was a cross–sectional, descriptive study." "Subjects and setting: The subjects were secondary school principals in Bloemfontein, Free State province, in 2006." Method: Principals of 10 secondary schools who were already participating in a larger study on 26 schools completed structured questionnaires on nutrition practices. Results: Four schools utilised nutrition education programmes. None had vending machines. Two schools sold dairy products. Biscuits and "chocolates were sold at eight schools, and sweets, crisps and fast food at all of the schools." Conclusion: The nutrition environment at Bloemfontein secondary schools does not support healthy eating habits. Nutrition policies need to be introduced to improve the nutritional environment at schools as the available food for learners at the tuck shops and/or via the vendors was mostly unhealthy

School environment, socioeconomic status and weight of children in Bloemfontein, South Africa

Background: The continued existence of undernutrition, associated with a steady increase in the "prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents, necessitates identification of" "factors contributing to this double burden of disease, in order for effective treatment and prevention" programmes to be planned. Aim: To determine the nutritional status of 13 15–year–old children in Bloemfontein and its association with socioeconomic factors. "Setting: Bloemfontein, Free State Province, South Africa (2006)." Methods: This was a cross–sectional analytical study. Randomly selected children (n = 415) completed structured questionnaires on socioeconomic status. The children s weight and height were measured and body mass index–for–age and height–for–age z–scores were computed according to World Health "Organization growth standards in order to determine the prevalence of underweight, overweight," obesity and stunting. Waist circumference was measured to classify the children as having a high or very high risk for metabolic disease. "Results: Of the 415 children who consented to participate in the study, 14.9% were wasted and" 3.4% were severely wasted. Only 6% of the children were overweight/obese. Significantly more boys (23.0%) were wasted than girls (10%) and severe stunting was also significantly higher in "boys than in girls (10.3% and 4.2%, respectively). Children whose parents had graduate occupations" were significantly more overweight/obese than those with parents working in skilled occupations. Stunting was significantly higher in low (31.4%) and medium (30.4%) socioeconomic groups compared to the high socioeconomic group (18.1%). Conclusion: A coexistence of underweight and overweight was found and gender and parental occupation were identified as being predictors of nutritional status