Culture of Healthy Eating and Food Environments, Policies, and Practices in Regional New Zealand Schools

Abstract

The school food environment plays an important role in shaping students’ dietary choices, which often influence future dietary behaviours. We surveyed primary and secondary schools in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, to measure the comprehensiveness and strength of food policies, describe the culture of food provision, and identify barriers to improving school food environments. Fifty-one schools were included in the final analysis, with 58.8% having a food policy, most of which used a generic template. Schools with food policies and those participating in the free and healthy lunch programme were more likely to have a strong culture around healthy eating. Common barriers to healthy eating were food outlets near school and resistance from students. Secondary schools reported facing more barriers to implementing healthy eating cultures, were more likely to use food as classroom rewards and to sell food to students, most of which was unhealthy. Hawke’s Bay schools participating in food provision programmes are successfully improving their food environments through improved culture and delivery of healthy food; however, more action is needed to strengthen the wording and guidance in food policies and reduce the provision of unhealthy food in schools before effective change can be achieved.

Mātauranga Māori and Kai in Schools: An Exploration of Traditional Māori Knowledge and Food in Five Primary Schools in Regional New Zealand

“…A demonstration project incorporating mātauranga Māori and kai with a wide definition of food risks could show further support for these findings without compromising food safety. This could also further contribute to an improvement in school food environments (Chote et al 2022). It would be worthwhile to explore in further detail the notions of food security versus food sovereignty in NZ to establish if efforts for Māori food security should rather be focused on food sovereignty.…”

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

“…For example, within schools, staff can redesign food policies to support the Ka Ora, Ka Ako programme. We know that currently school food policies in Aotearoa New Zealand are not being used effectively to improve the food environment but have the potential to do so [ 41 , 42 ]. At a government level, this research can guide the improvement of Ka Ora, Ka Ako through increased information sharing between principals and the MoE, as we have identified that principals are the major agents of change within a school and influence the level of teacher support for the programme.…”

Healthy Eats—Evaluation of a Social Marketing Program Delivered in Primary School Settings in Queensland

“…Schools represent one key setting for multifactorial public health strategies aiming to lower the prevalence of overweightness and obesity [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]. School-based programs are effective in influencing children’s learning environments at a young age, thereby facilitating the development of healthy habits, which results in improved health and wellbeing later in life [ 12 , 13 , 14 ]. Whilst nutrition education alone has been shown to be insufficient to effect change [ 15 ], the creation of learning environments that move beyond knowledge to develop skills and stimulate action can be more effective [ 16 ].…”