Factors Leading to Implementing Healthy Eating

Habits in a School Environment

Student NameSocial Science 193

Spring 2008Dr. Jeanett Castellanos

Background Information• America is experiencing

malnutrition, low vitamin intake and high disease- including obesity.

• Children are experiencing poor healthy habits such as low exercise and poor nutrition that will be present in adulthood.

• Obesity is a leading health issue among children in the U.S. today.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007

Source: www.obesityinamerica.org

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005

Problem Statement

• Home:– Children are

eating poorly and not seeing the value of nutrition

– Families are not offering a healthy lifestyle habit to children

• School:– Schools have

vending machines that promote poor eating habits

– School food service programs need improvement to offer more balanced meals

Purpose of Study

• To evaluate student nutrition habits in the lunchroom

• To examine the implementation of healthy eating habit in different communities

• To examine the benefits of a currently implemented program

Theoretical Framework:Social Cognitive Theory, 1988

Source: Pajares (2002). Overview of social cognitive theory and of self-efficacy.

Literature Review:Environmental Influences

• Student Behavior:– Repeated exposure

to fruits and vegetables at school increase in consumption and liking (Rhee, 2008)

• Program Implementation:– Schools have

been identified as excellent environments for prevention efforts to occur (Bloom-hoffman, 2008)

Literature Review:Personal Factors

• Student Behavior: Fruits,

Vegetables (Blom-hoffman, 2008)

• Program Implementation:– Increase

preference and liking through familiarity of fruits and vegetables (Wardle, Herrera, Cooke & Gibson, 2003)

Literature Review:Behavioral Factors

• Program Implementation:– Social modeling

by teachers and peers, encouragement from school food service staff (Bloom-hoffman, 2008)

• Student Behavior:– Change in

attitudes and perceptions related to healthy foods (Borra, Kelly, Sheirreffs, Nerville, and Geiger, 2003)

Gaps in Literature

• Limited studies on the impact of utilizing fruits and vegetables in a school environment

• Limited statistics on the evaluation of nutrition-based programs at schools

• Lack of articles on children’s behaviors at lunchrooms

Initial Model

Methodology

• Research Design: – Qualitative, ethnographic study

• Data Collections:– Field observations and field notes– Semi structured and unstructured

interviews– Survey Questionnaire– Mappings– Matrices

Sites

• President Elementary School of Riverside Unified School District

• Bay Elementary School of Santa Ana Unified School District

• The Grain Project in Santa Ana

Mapping

Matrix

Participants

• Student Behavior:– President

Elementary School students (Kindergarten to 6th grade) at a lunchroom

• About 820 students

• 54% eligible for free/reduced meals

• Program Implementation:– 10 Parent Teacher

Association (PTA) members from President Elementary School

• Latina• 8/10 eligible for

free/reduced meals

– 2 Nutrition service directors, 2 nutrition specialists, board director of The Grain Project

Data Analysis

• Extensive review of field notes• Revisiting the research questions• Sorting and coding through

highlighting, circling, and underlining

• Identifying themes, sub-themes and variables

• Triangulation• Peer validation to reinforce validity• Quotes and themes

Results:Environmental Influences- Program Implementation

• Farmer’s Market Salad Bar Program– “The Farmers’ Market Salad Bar Program

seeks to increase consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables among students by purchasing directly from local farmers and preparing fresh food on a daily basis” - Activist #1, Interview

Results:Environmental Influences- Program Implementation

Results:Environmental Influences- Program Implementation

0123456789

10

#8 #10 #11

StronglyDisagreeDisagree

Agree

Strongly Agree

• #8: It is essential that the fruits and vegetables provided by the lunch program be fresh and harvested the same week.

• #10: It is important to see a featured item in the menu weekly.• #11: It is important that the school offers an all-you-can-eat salad bar as

part of the lunch program.

Results:Environmental Influences- Program Implementation

• Harvest of the Month Program– “Harvest of the Month provides the

opportunity for collaboration among educators, child nutrition staff, school administrators, students and parents access to and preference for fruits and vegetables” - Activist #2, Presentation

Results:Environmental Influences- Program Implementation

Results:Environmental Influences- Program Implementation

• Why is Farmer’s Market Salad Bar Program Better?– Use of locally grown fruits and vegetables

harvested in the same week– Actual consumption of fruits and vegetables– The message through food presentation and

taste testings not affectively delivered to parents and children

Results:Social Factors- Benefits

• “Thank you for worrying about the food of the children” -Parent of President Elementary School, Latina

• “My daughter complained why they don’t eat salad at school”- Parent of Bay Elementary School, Caucasian

Results:Personal Factor- Children’s Behvaiors

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Kindergarten

First Grade

SecondGrade

Third Grade

Fourth Grade

Fifth Grade

Sixth Grade

Hot Lunch

Salad Bar

• About 1/3 of students choose to eat salad bar lunch

Results:Personal Factors- Children’s Behaviors

• “I eat broiled eggs at home too. Sometimes my mommy makes three for me. They’re my favorite.” - 2nd grade, Latina

• “Vegetables are good for you.”- 2nd grade, Latina

• “Carrots are my favorite ‘cause they’re juicy.” - 1st grade, African American

Final Model

Discussion

• “Frequent exposure to fruits and vegetables and making them more easily accessible can result in increased consumption, liking, and preference for that food” (Rhee, 2008)

• “Positive increases in fruits and vegetable consumption through social modeling by peers, teachers, encouragement from school food service staff” (Blom-Hoffman, 2008)

Limitations of Design

• Limited access to children and school• Not able to measure children’s

behaviors and outcomes before and after a nutrition progmra has been implemented

• Language barrier

Implications

• Research:– Socioeconomic

and demographic factors of families

– Roles of parents on children

– Better tracking of students to measure the possible changes on student behaviors

•Practice:–Hands-on activities provided at schools–Incorporate fruits and vegetables learned in school to lunch menu

Acknowledgements• Dr. Castellanos• Social Science 193 Class• The Grain Project• President Elementary School• Bay Elementary School• Riverside Unified School District

Nutrition Services• Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School

District nutrition directors• Santa Ana Unified School District

Nutrition Services• Magnolia School District staffs• Food 4 Thought of SAUSD