Children’s Participation in Free School Meals: A Qualitative Study among Pupils, Parents, and Teachers

Abstract

School meals can have a key function in promoting children’s health. However, simply providing a free school meal is not a guarantee that pupils will eat the food. The purpose of this study was to explore factors influencing pupils’ participation in free school meal schemes in Oslo. The study has a qualitative research design, inspired by grounded theory. Data were collected through interviews with pupils, teachers, and parents, and participant observations in two schools participating in a pilot project funded by Oslo Municipality. Line-by-line coding, memo writing, and a constant comparative technique were used to analyze the data. One primary school and one lower-secondary school in different districts in Oslo that were implementing two different free school meal models took part in the study. In total, 39 pupils (5th–10th grade), 15 parents, and 12 school employees were included. Four main factors related to pupils’ participation in free school meals emerged from the analysis: the popularity of the food served, the attraction to the nearby shopping center, social aspects, and predictability. To promote pupils’ participation in free school meal schemes, schools need to solve the challenges of balancing between healthy food and popular but often unhealthy food. To implement school meals further, children and parents’ involvement, regularity of the meals provision, a good flow of information, and the creation of a friendly eating environment are recommended.

Free School Meal Improves Educational Health and the Learning Environment in a Small Municipality in Norway

“…A survey by Samdal [ 24 ] showed that there was a change when students entered lower secondary school, as many students, especially boys from families with low socioeconomic status, did not bring a packed lunch and, hence, did not always take part in the school meal. In a qualitative study on students’ participation in a free school meal in Oslo, Norway, Mauer et al [ 25 ] found that offering a free school meal did not necessarily imply that the students took advantage of the offer. They found that the popularity of the food served, competition with the nearby shopping center, and social aspects where factors that influenced participation.…”

Health, wellbeing and nutritional impacts for students and families after two years of government-funded school lunches in low advantage schools in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“…18,19 Taste preference is important for uptake of school meals even when they are offered for free. 20,21 Mauer et al report that the most important factors contributing to participation in free school meals in Oslo, Norway were the popularity of the food served, competition with the nearby shopping center, social aspects, and predictability. 20 In a study on free school breakfasts in the United States of America, unful lled food preferences were a barrier to participation, and students accepted to go hungry rather than eat the school breakfast if they did not like it.…”

Systems Mapping of the New Zealand Free and Healthy School Lunch Programme: Perspectives from Lunch Providers

“…However, some external providers found the guidelines difficult to meet within their budget, menus were time consuming to put together and student acceptance of the healthier food was low. International research also illustrates conflicting opinions amongst school meal providers, with some reporting increased costs and lower student acceptance associated with healthier guidelines, whereas others say, with some creativity, healthy menus can be created that are still familiar enough that students are willing to try the food, therefore reducing food waste [ 7 , 31 , 35 ]. Our research shows that building relationships with students and obtaining their feedback helps improve student consumption of nutritionally compliant lunches as students are very honest about their food preferences and can provide useful feedback on menus, particularly as they learn more about which foods are healthy and which are not.…”

“…Food preferences, eating autonomy, social pressures, the presence of food outlets near school grounds, cultural appropriateness, providing more time to eat lunch and regularity of the programme all influence the uptake of school meals [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ]. In addition to these individual factors influencing the likelihood of student participation, the interaction of such constructs is important.…”

“…In addition to these individual factors influencing the likelihood of student participation, the interaction of such constructs is important. In their Norwegian study, Mauer and colleagues [ 35 ] suggested that for students the popularity of the food, combined with “social eating” and the establishment of new routines around school meals, collectively counterbalanced the appeal of buying food offsite. It was the interaction of these individual constructs that was just as important as the constructs themselves.…”