The Food and Health Environment in Junior Secondary Schools in Urban Burkina Faso: A Cross-Sectional Study of Administrators, Food Vendors and Early Adolescents

Abstract

School enrolment rates have increased globally, making the school environment a unique setting to promote healthy nutrition and eating outcomes among early adolescents. In this cross-sectional study, we describe the food and health environment of junior secondary schools in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso, West Africa). We evaluated the food and health environment using three components: (1) the implementation of health-related policies or guidelines in the schools, (2) the provision of health, nutrition and water, sanitation & hygiene (WASH) services in the schools, and (3) the quality of the school food environment, including foods sold by vendors. We used stratified random sampling to recruit 22 junior secondary schools from the five Ouagadougou districts in 2020. Trained fieldworkers collected standardized questionnaire data from 19 school administrators, 18 food vendors, and 1059 in-school adolescents. We report that only 7 out of 19 school administrators were aware of existing health-related policies and guidelines at their school and only 3 schools had a school health and nutrition curriculum in place. The overall provision of health, nutrition and WASH services was low or inadequate. Likely because of the lack of school canteens, 69% of the students bought snacks and unhealthy foods from food vendors. There is a critical need to improve the food and health environment of junior secondary schools in urban Burkina Faso.

Prevalence of Obesity and Anemia Among Early Adolescents in Junior Secondary Schools: A Cross‐Sectional Study in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

“…An aspect that could be added at the policy level would be the promotion or even provision of a curriculum on health and healthy eating and the specific focus on adolescent girls. 27 Female adolescents in our study were on average less active than male adolescents and had a higher risk for overweight and any anemia. Schools should promote being safe places to conduct sports that are gender-focused and independent of social or cultural norms.…”

“…Because of our sampling targets, we dropped all schools that did not have at least 15 students per targeted grade, resulting in 388 available schools. We then used stratified random sampling by district to recruit 5 junior secondary schools from Baskuy (40 schools on list), Nongr‐Massom (46), Bogodogo (100), Boulmiougou (129), and Sig‐Nonghin (73) 27 . On the day of the school visit, trained field workers were instructed to recruit an equal number of boys and girls per grade using convenience sampling 29 .…”

“…We then used stratified random sampling by district to recruit 5 junior secondary schools from Baskuy (40 schools on list), Nongr-Massom (46), Bogodogo (100), Boulmiougou (129), and Sig-Nonghin (73). 27 On the day of the school visit, trained field workers were instructed to recruit an equal number of boys and girls per grade using convenience sampling. 29 Specifically, when the field workers entered the classroom, they selected the students based on their availability and interest to participate in the study.…”

“…25,26 Although these programs focused on the basic educational systems, some spillover effect to adolescence and the secondary school environment would have been assumed after 10 years. Mauti et al (2021) found though that policies, knowledge, and infrastructure on and for health and nutrition are still lacking in junior secondary schools in Ouagadougou. 27 In this study, we describe the prevalence of anemia and obesity among early adolescents attending junior secondary schools in urban Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso.…”

“…Mauti et al (2021) found though that policies, knowledge, and infrastructure on and for health and nutrition are still lacking in junior secondary schools in Ouagadougou. 27 In this study, we describe the prevalence of anemia and obesity among early adolescents attending junior secondary schools in urban Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso. Our research aims are to (a) quantify the prevalence of anemia by age, gender, school grade, household wealth, and diet, and to (b) quantify the prevalence of obesity by the same above factors and physical activity.…”