Long-Term Effectiveness of a Multi-Strategy Choice Architecture Intervention in Increasing Healthy Food Choices of High-School Students From Online Canteens (Click & Crunch High Schools): Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: School canteens are a recommended setting to influence adolescent nutrition due to their scope to improve student food choices. Online lunch ordering systems ("online canteens") are increasingly used and represent attractive infrastructure to implement choice architecture interventions that nudge users toward healthier food choices. A recent cluster randomized controlled trial demonstrated the short-term effectiveness (2-month follow-up) of a choice architecture intervention to increase the healthiness of foods purchased by high school students from online canteens. However, there is little evidence regarding the long-term effectiveness of choice architecture interventions targeting adolescent food purchases, particularly those delivered online. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the long-term effectiveness of a multi-strategy choice architecture intervention embedded within online canteen infrastructure in high schools at a 15-month follow-up. METHODS: A cluster randomized controlled trial was undertaken with 1331 students (from 9 high schools) in New South Wales, Australia. Schools were randomized to receive the automated choice architecture intervention (including menu labeling, positioning, feedback, and prompting strategies) or the control (standard online ordering). The foods purchased were classified according to the New South Wales Healthy Canteen strategy as either "everyday," "occasional," or "should not be sold." Primary outcomes were the average proportion of "everyday," "occasional," and "should not be sold" items purchased per student. Secondary outcomes were the mean energy, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium content of purchases. Outcomes were assessed using routine data collected by the online canteen. RESULTS: From baseline to 15-month follow-up, on average, students in the intervention group ordered significantly more "everyday" items (+11.5%, 95% CI 7.3% to 15.6%; P<.001), and significantly fewer "occasional" (-5.4%, 95% CI -9.4% to -1.5%; P=.007) and "should not be sold" items (-6%, 95% CI -9.1% to -2.9%; P<.001), relative to controls. There were no between-group differences over time in the mean energy, saturated fat, sugar, or sodium content of lunch orders. CONCLUSIONS: Given their longer-term effectiveness, choice architecture interventions delivered via online canteens may represent a promising option for policy makers to support healthy eating among high school students. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian Clinical Trials ACTRN12620001338954, https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=380546 ; Open Science Framework osf.io/h8zfr, https://osf.io/h8zfr/.

Comparative analysis of school food policies in Australian jurisdictions: Insights for more effective policy action.

ISSUE ADDRESSED: School food policies in Australia have the potential to positively impact healthy eating in schools. While the policies are reviewed regularly, it is unknown if revised school food policies have incorporated the recommendations from a 2020 review of nutrition policies in publicly funded institutions. This review aims to examine the current state of Australian school food policy environment, including national-level guidelines, food safety, allergy, and anaphylaxis management policies. METHODS: School food policy documents were identified by searching the federal government, and Departments of Health and Education websites of Australian jurisdictions. The L'Abbé framework for monitoring and evaluation of nutrition policies guided the data analysis. RESULTS: Eleven policies/guidelines from Australian national and state/territory governments were reviewed in 2023. Four state/territory policies had major updates since 2020. The consistency of nutrition standards improved across five jurisdictions, although a common nutrient classification system would have allowed better comparison. Implementation guides/tools and supporting resources were provided in all policies although their comprehensiveness varied. Policy monitoring and evaluation guide/tools, and local food procurement were incorporated in two additional policies. School principals were responsible for policy implementation and schools for independent compliance monitoring. CONCLUSION: Continued improvement in monitoring and evaluation plans, policy review timelines, and support systems for schools is needed to enhance implementation and impact of school food policies. External stakeholder support may help school leadership in more effective policy implementation. SO WHAT?: Limited progress in incorporating recommendations into current school food policies calls for additional support and strategies to enhance policy implementation and monitoring.

Validation of the Thumbs food classification system as a tool to accurately identify the healthiness of foods.

The Thumbs food classification system was developed to assist remote Australian communities to identify food healthiness. This study aimed to assess: (1) the Thumbs system's alignment to two other food classification systems, the Health Star Rating (HSR) and the Northern Territory School Canteens Guidelines (NTSCG); (2) its accuracy in classifying 'unhealthy' (contributing to discretionary energy and added sugars) and 'healthy' products against HSR and NTSCG; (3) areas for optimisation. Food and beverage products sold between 05/2018 and 05/2019 in fifty-one remote stores were classified in each system. System alignment was assessed by cross-tabulating percentages of products, discretionary energy and added sugars sold assigned to the same healthiness levels across the systems. The system/s capturing the highest percentage of discretionary energy and added sugars sold in 'unhealthy' products and the lowest levels in 'healthy' products were considered the best performing. Cohen's κ was used to assess agreement between the Thumbs system and the NTSCG for classifying products as healthy. The Thumbs system classified product healthiness in line with the HSR and NTSCG, with Cohen's κ showing moderate agreement between the Thumbs system and the NTSCG (κ = 0·60). The Thumbs system captured the most discretionary energy sold (92·2 %) and added sugar sold (90·6 %) in unhealthy products and the least discretionary energy sold (0 %) in healthy products. Modifications to optimise the Thumbs system include aligning several food categories to the NTSCG criteria and addressing core/discretionary classification discrepancies of fruit juice/drinks. The Thumbs system offers a classification algorithm that could strengthen the HSR system.

Examining the New Zealand school food environment: what needs to change?

Habitual dietary intakes and nutrition behaviours developed during childhood and adolescence pave the way for similar behaviours to manifest in adulthood. Childhood obesity rates have now reached a point where one in six children globally are classified as overweight or obese. Schools have the unique ability to reach almost all children during key developmental stages, making them an ideal setting for influencing children's nutrition behaviours. Evidence suggests the school food environment is not always conducive to healthy food choices and may be obesogenic. The aim of this narrative review is to explore factors that influence the healthy food and drink environment in and around schools in New Zealand. The review focused on evidence from New Zealand and Australia given the close resemblance in education systems and school food guidance. Using the Analysis Grid for Environments Linked to Obesity (ANGELO) framework, the school food environment was categorised into the following domains: economic, political, physical and socio-cultural factors. Findings suggest that food policies are not utilised within schools, and guidelines to improve the school food environment are not well implemented. Canteen profit models, lack of staff support and resources, and higher availability of low-cost unhealthy foods are among barriers that hinder implementation. This review highlights recommendations from existing evidence, including canteen pricing strategies, restriction of unhealthy foods and using peer modelling in a time-scarce curriculum to improve the school food environment. Key areas for improvement, opportunities to enhance policy implementation and untapped avenues to improve the food and nutrition behaviours of children are highlighted.

How healthy and affordable are foods and beverages sold in school canteens? A cross-sectional study comparing menus from Victorian primary schools.

OBJECTIVE: Government policy guidance in Victoria, Australia, encourages schools to provide affordable, healthy foods in canteens. This study analysed the healthiness and price of items available in canteens in Victorian primary schools and associations with school characteristics. DESIGN: Dietitians classified menu items (main, snack and beverage) using the red, amber and green traffic light system defined in the Victorian government's School Canteens and Other School Food Services Policy. This system also included a black category for confectionary and high sugar content soft drinks which should not be supplied. Descriptive statistics and regressions were used to analyse differences in the healthiness and price of main meals, snacks and beverages offered, according to school remoteness, sector (government and Catholic/independent) size, and socio-economic position. SETTING: State of Victoria, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of canteen menus drawn from three previous obesity prevention studies in forty-eight primary schools between 2016 and 2019. RESULTS: On average, school canteen menus were 21 % 'green' (most healthy - everyday), 53 % 'amber' (select carefully), 25 % 'red' (occasional) and 2 % 'black' (banned) items, demonstrating low adherence with government guidelines. 'Black' items were more common in schools in regional population centres. 'Red' main meal items were cheaper than 'green'% (mean difference -$0·48 (95 % CI -0·85, -0·10)) and 'amber' -$0·91 (-1·27, -0·57)) main meal items. In about 50 % of schools, the mean price of 'red' main meal, beverages and snack items were cheaper than 'green' items, or no 'green' alternative items were offered. CONCLUSION: In this sample of Victorian canteen menus, there was no evidence of associations of healthiness and pricing by school characteristics except for regional centres having the highest proportion of 'black' (banned) items compared with all other remoteness categories examined. There was low adherence with state canteen menu guidelines. Many schools offered a high proportion of 'red' food options and 'black' (banned) options, particularly in regional centres. Unhealthier options were cheaper than healthy options. More needs to be done to bring Victorian primary school canteen menus in line with guidelines.

Capturing the whole-school food environment in primary schools.

OBJECTIVE: The school food environment (SFE) is an ideal setting for encouraging healthy dietary behaviour. We aimed to develop an instrument to assess whole-SFE, test the instrument in the school setting and demonstrate its use to make food environment recommendations. DESIGN: SFE literature and UK school food guidance were searched to inform instrument items. The instrument consisted of (i) an observation proforma capturing canteen areas systems, food presentation and monitoring of food intake and (ii) a questionnaire assessing food policies, provision and activities. The instrument was tested in schools and used to develop SFE recommendations. Descriptive analyses enabled narrative discussion. SETTING: Primary schools. PARTICIPANTS: An observation was undertaken at schools in urban and rural geographical regions of Northern Ireland of varying socio-economic status (n 18). School senior management completed the questionnaire with input from school caterers (n 16). RESULTS: The instrument captured desired detail and potential instrument modifications were identified. SFE varied. Differences existed between food policies and how policies were implemented and monitored. At many schools, there was scope to enhance physical eating environments (n 12, 67 %) and food presentation (n 15, 83 %); emphasise healthy eating through food activities (n 7, 78 %) and increase parental engagement in school food (n 9, 56 %). CONCLUSIONS: The developed instrument can measure whole-SFE in primary schools and also enabled identification of recommendations to enhance SFE. Further assessment and adaptation of the instrument are required to enable future use as a research tool or for self-assessment use by schools.

Exploratory analysis of a cluster randomized controlled trial of a multi-strategy intervention delivered via online canteens on improving the nutritional quality of primary school students' pre-ordered foods & drinks at recess.

School canteens are a recommended setting to deliver public health nutrition strategies given their wide reach, and frequent use by children. Online canteens, where users (i.e. students or their carers) pre-order and pay for food and drinks online, represent attractive systems to deliver strategies that encourage healthier food choices. There have been few studies exploring the efficacy of public health nutrition interventions in online food ordering environments. Therefore, this study aims to assess the efficacy of a multi-strategy intervention implemented in an online school canteen ordering system in reducing the energy, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium content of students' online recess orders (i.e. foods ordered during the mid-morning or afternoon snack period). This was an exploratory analysis of recess purchases for a cluster randomized controlled trial that initially sought to examine the efficacy of the intervention on lunch orders. A total of 314 students from 5 schools received the multi-strategy intervention (involving menu labelling, placement, prompting and availability) that was integrated into the online ordering system, and 171 students from 3 schools received the control (usual online ordering). Analysis of main outcomes found that the mean energy (difference: -269.3 kJ; P = 0.006), saturated fat (difference: -1.1 g; P = 0.011) and sodium (difference: -128.6 mg; P = 0.014) content per student recess order was significantly lower in the intervention group than the control group at 2-month follow-up. Findings suggest that embedding strategies to encourage healthier choices within online canteen ordering systems can improve the nutrient composition of student recess purchases. These results add to the current evidence base suggesting that interventions delivered via online food ordering systems represent an effective strategy for improving child public health nutrition in schools.

Procurement from local producers for food service in primary and secondary school settings: A scoping review.

ISSUE ADDRESSED: Australian school canteen guidelines do not broadly incentivise procuring food from local producers, despite evidence of this occurring abroad. This scoping review aims to investigate what is known about local food procurement for school foodservice. METHODS: A scoping review of peer-reviewed articles published since 2000 was undertaken using MEDLINE, CINAHL and Scopus. RESULTS: Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. Local food was generally perceived as fresher and more nutritious. Small, positive impacts on fruit and vegetable intake have been demonstrated when food is procured locally. Challenges identified included concerns around food safety, varied availability, time spent coordinating food supply, lack of incentive from regional or national guidelines, inadequate kitchen facilities and budget constraints. CONCLUSIONS: There is no universal definition or standard for procuring 'local food'. The main motivation for local food procurement was a sense of social responsibility, however there are barriers, including cost, facilities and food safety. Purchasing food locally holds potential to benefit the local economy but government funding and policy supporting local and small-scale producers is an important enabler. SO WHAT?: Government support to build stakeholder capacity is important in establishing and maintaining these programmes and would be crucial in achieving change in Australian schools. Investigating feasibility of a national school lunch service would be beneficial, as these programmes may have merit not just in feeding children but also in supporting the local economy. Further research is warranted in this area.

Strategies to reduce the energy content of foods pre-ordered for lunch in the workplace: a randomised controlled trial in an experimental online canteen.

BACKGROUND: Prompting employees to swap their usual lunches for lower-energy alternatives may help align energy intake with public health recommendations. We tested the effect of offering lower-energy swaps with and without physical activity calorie equivalent (PACE) information on the energy of lunches pre-ordered in an online hypothetical workplace canteen. METHODS: UK employed adults (n = 2,150) were invited to hypothetically pre-order their lunch from the canteen through a custom-made online platform. They were randomised 1:1:1 to: (i) control: no swaps offered; (ii) lower-energy swaps offered; or (iii) lower-energy swaps offered with PACE information. The primary outcome was the total energy ordered using analysis of covariance and controlling for the energy content of the initial items ordered. Secondary outcomes were swap acceptance rate and intervention acceptability. RESULTS: Participants were 54% female, had a mean age of 36.8 (SD = 11.6) and a BMI of 26.3 (SD = 5.6). Compared with an average 819 kcal energy ordered in the control, both the swaps and swaps + PACE interventions significantly reduced average energy ordered by 47 kcal (95% CI: -82 to -13, p = 0.003) and 66 kcal (95% CI: -100 to -31, p < 0.001), respectively. Compared with offering swaps only, the swaps + PACE intervention led to significantly higher swap acceptance (OR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.27 to 2.09, p < 0.001) but did not significantly reduce energy ordered (-19 kcal, 95% CI: -53 to 16, p = 0.591). About 65% and 16% of intervention participants found the swap interventions acceptable and unacceptable, respectively, with the swaps + PACE intervention being considered more acceptable than swaps only (OR: 1.32, 95%CI: 1.09 to 1.60, p < 0.004). CONCLUSION: Offering lower-energy swaps with or without PACE information reduced the energy of pre-ordered lunches experimentally. Both interventions hold promise for reducing the energy of purchased foods and drinks. Trial Registration As Predicted reference number: 56358, 22/01/21, https://aspredicted.org/pw2qr.pdf.

The efficacy of a multi-strategy choice architecture intervention on improving the nutritional quality of high school students' lunch purchases from online canteens (Click & Crunch High Schools): a cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: High school canteens are an ideal setting for public health nutrition intervention, and choice architecture strategies that facilitate the purchase of healthier foods and beverages from school canteens are recommended by the World Health Organization. The rapid uptake of online lunch ordering within school canteens provides a unique opportunity to implement choice architecture strategies that support healthier food choices with high fidelity. Despite this, no trial has tested the efficacy of choice architecture strategies within an online lunch ordering system on improving the nutritional quality of high school student lunch purchases. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of embedding choice architecture strategies into an online lunch ordering system on the nutritional quality of the school canteen lunch purchases of high school students (aged 12-19 years). METHODS: A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted with nine high schools in one Australian state. Schools were randomized to receive either a 2-month choice architecture intervention (involving menu labelling, prompts, item positioning, and feedback), or usual online ordering. Nutrient quality of online canteen lunch purchases was assessed using routine data collected by the online ordering system. Primary outcomes were the proportion of 'Everyday', 'Occasional', and 'Should not be sold' items purchased, categorized using the state healthy canteen policy. Secondary outcomes were the mean energy, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium content of purchases and the mean weekly revenue from online lunch orders. Linear mixed models were analyzed to assess outcomes. RESULTS: Analysis of the student cohort (Intervention: 4 schools, 656 students; Control: 5 schools, 675 students) showed significant between group differences over time for the intervention group for the mean percentage of online lunch items per student that were 'Everyday' (+ 5.5%; P < 0.001) and 'Should not be sold' (- 4.4%; P < 0.001). There were no between group differences over time in the mean percentage of online lunch items that were 'Occasional'; the average energy, saturated fat, sugar, or sodium content of lunch orders. There was also no difference in mean weekly revenue from high school student online lunch orders (P = 0.23). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that a low intensity, choice architecture intervention embedded within an online ordering system can increase the purchase of healthier food items for high school students in one Australian state without any adverse impact on canteen revenue. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was prospectively registered on Open Science Framework on 23rd October 2020 as osf.io/h8zfr.

School Menu Review Programme (PReME): evaluation of compliance with dietary recommendations during the period 2006-2020 in Catalonia.

BACKGROUND: The School Menu Review Programme (PReME) has been offering complimentary revisions of meal plans to all schools in Catalonia since 2006. This study aims to assess the evolution of compliance with PReME's recommendations in the meals provided by school cafeterias in Catalonia during the period 2006-2020. METHODS: Pre-post study with a sample of 6,387 meal plans from 2221 schools assessed during the period. The information was collected mainly by public health specialists within the annual technical and sanitary inspection of school kitchens and cafeterias. Meal plans were evaluated by Dietitian-Nutritionists team according to the criteria of the National Health System's "Consensus document on nutrition in schools" and the Public Health Agency of Catalonia's current guide "Healthy eating at school". Reports were sent to each participating school. A few months later, a new meal plan and another questionnaire were collected and evaluated in comparison with the first meal plan. Compliance with the recommendations was analysed based on the type of canteen management and the school category. RESULTS: Compliance improved during the study period. The percentage of schools that complied with dietary recommendations in relation to the five PReME indicators (fresh fruit, pulses, daily vegetables, fresh food and olive oil for dressing) has steadily increased since PReME began, (over 70% in all indictors; p = < 0.001), with variations depending on school category and cafeteria management. Furthermore, an improvement in the levels of compliance with de recommended food frequencies was observed. with statistically significant differences for all items (p < 0.001), except for pulses whose compliance had been high since the beginning of the study (p = 0.216). CONCLUSIONS: The positive evolution in compliance with PReME's recommendations provides evidence of the programme's effectiveness, with an improvement in the quality of school meals delivered in Catalonia.

The effectiveness of canteen manager audit and feedback reports and online menu-labels in encouraging healthier food choices within students' online lunch orders: A pilot cluster randomised controlled trial in primary school canteens in New South Wales, Australia.

Online school canteen lunch ordering systems may offer a unique opportunity to support the implementation of school canteen nutrition polices, while delivering behavioural interventions directly to consumers to influence healthy student purchasing. This cluster randomised controlled trial aimed to test the effectiveness of a menu audit and feedback strategy alone, and in combination with online menu labels in encouraging healthier purchasing from an online school canteen ordering system. Five intervention schools received a menu audit and feedback strategy, plus online menu labels; and five control schools received a delayed menu audit and feedback strategy. Data from 19,799 student lunch orders, containing over 40,000 items were included in the evaluation. Outcomes were assessed at baseline (pre-intervention), follow-up 1 (menu audit and feedback vs control), and follow-up 2 (menu audit and feedback plus online menu labels vs menu audit and feedback alone). From baseline to follow-up 1, the menu audit and feedback strategy alone had no significant effect on the proportion of healthy ('Everyday') and less healthy ('Occasional' or 'Should not be sold') items purchased. From baseline to follow-up 2, schools that received menu audit and feedback plus online menu labels had significantly higher odds of students purchasing 'Everyday' items (OR: 1.19; p = 0.019), and significantly lower odds of students purchasing 'Occasional' (OR: 0.86; p = 0.048) and 'Should not be sold' (OR: 0.52; p < 0.001) items. Menu audit and feedback with the addition of online menu labels was effective in increasing the proportion of healthy items purchased relative to menu audit and feedback in isolation. There may be a greater role for online menu labelling as part of a suite of strategies to improve public health nutrition in schools.

Plate waste increases with the number of foods proposed: An exploratory experimental study in adolescents' school canteens.

The objective of this exploratory study was to examine whether the number of foods offered has an impact on plate waste and meal satisfaction in adolescents' school canteens. The plate waste of 247 French students was estimated during two school lunches, the only variation being the number of starters offered (3 versus 6). Plate waste was assessed by the weight of food left on the tray. Students had to complete a short questionnaire regarding their general satisfaction with the meal. The results indicated that limiting the number of starters provided from 6 to 3 choices led to a decrease of Plate waste (-28.1 g) (p < .0001), and a modest increase in Meal satisfaction (p = .02). They suggest that limiting the number of food choices in school canteens reduces plate waste, while not diminishing satisfaction with the meal.

The barriers and enablers to implementing the New South Wales Healthy School Canteen Strategy in secondary schools in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions - A qualitative study.

ISSUE ADDRESSED: In 2017, the New South Wales Healthy School Canteen Strategy (Strategy) was introduced into primary and secondary schools. Studies have reported that secondary schools have a lower level of compliance with healthy canteen policies compared with primary schools. This study aims to identify and describe the barriers and enablers to implementing the Strategy in Department of Education (DoE) secondary schools in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions. METHODS: The framework underpinning the study was the systems theory. Canteen managers (CM) and principals from the 21 DoE secondary schools in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. The interviews were structured around the five focus areas of the Strategy, including questions on school nutrition policies and the role of the canteen. Data were collated using the interview guides as a framework and qualitative content analysis, using manual coding, was undertaken. RESULTS: Eight (38%) schools participated with seven CMs and six principals interviewed. Barriers to implementing the Strategy included the changing role of the canteen, the increased demands placed on CMs and inconsistencies between the school food environment and the Strategy. Enablers included monitoring implementation, and internal and external support. This study also recognised that previously identified barriers to healthy canteen strategy implementation are ongoing. CONCLUSIONS: The school canteen is an integral part of the school environment and therefore needs whole-of-school support if successful implementation of the Strategy is to occur. SO WHAT: Addressing the barriers and promoting the enablers identified in this study will support better nutrition policy implementation in secondary schools.

Investigating differences between traditional (paper bag) ordering and online ordering from primary school canteens: a cross-sectional study comparing menu, usage and lunch order characteristics.

OBJECTIVE: To assess differences between traditional paper bag ordering and online ordering from primary school canteens in terms of menu, usage and lunch order characteristics. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: New South Wales (NSW) primary schools that offered both paper bag and online canteen ordering. PARTICIPANTS: Students (aged 5-12 years) with a lunch order on the day of the observation. RESULTS: Across the six school canteens, 59-90 % of all available items were listed on both the online and paper menus, with no significant differences in the nutritional quality ('Everyday'/'Occasional') or nutritional content (kJ/saturated fat/sugar/sodium) of menu items. In total, 387 student lunch orders were placed, containing 776 menu items. Most orders (68 %) were placed online. There were no significant differences between order modality in the quantity of items ordered or the cost of orders, or the nutritional quality of orders based on the classification system of the NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy ('Everyday'/'Occasional'). However, nutritional analysis revealed that paper bag orders contained 222 fewer kJ than online orders (P = 0·001), 0·65 g less saturated fat (P = 0·04) and 4·7 g less sugar (P < 0·001). CONCLUSIONS: Online canteens are commonly used to order canteen lunches for primary school children. This is the first study to investigate differences between traditional paper bag ordering and online ordering in this setting. Given the rapid increase in the use of online ordering systems in schools and other food settings and their potential to deliver public health nutrition interventions, additional research is warranted to further investigate differences in ordering modalities.

Food environment in and around schools and colleges of Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) in India.

BACKGROUND: Food policies and environment (availability, accessibility, affordability, marketing) in and around educational institutes can influence food choices and behaviours of children and adolescents. METHODS: Cross-sectional, mixed-methods study was implemented in schools (n = 9; Private = 6, Public = 3) and colleges (n = 4) from Delhi and National Capital Region (India). The data was collected from students of schools (n = 253) and colleges (n = 57), parents of school students (n = 190), teachers (n = 12, schools = 9, colleges = 3) and canteen operators of Private schools and colleges (n = 10; schools = 6, and colleges = 4). The primary and secondary data was collected to: 1) identify the strengths and weaknesses of the existing guidelines and directives (desk review); 2) examine food environment, existing policies and its implementation (structured observations, in-depth interviews, surveys, focus group discussions), and; 3) assess food choices, behaviours of students (focus group discussions). The thematic analysis was used for qualitative data and descriptive analysis for quantitative data. RESULTS: The available food and beverage options, in and around the participating educational institutes were either high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS), despite government and educational institute guidelines on restricting the availability and accessibility of HFSS foods. The healthy food and beverage options were expensive compared to HFSS foods both inside and outside educational institutes. In total, 37 vendors (Private = 27; Public:10) were observed outside schools at dispersal and twelve at lunchtime. Around colleges, vendors (n = 14) were seen throughout the day. Students from all Private schools (n = 6) and colleges (n = 2) were exposed to food and beverage advertisements either HFSS (Private schools = 1-3 and colleges = 0-2 advertisements), whereas no advertisements were observed around Public schools. CONCLUSION: It is imperative to implement food policies to improve the food environment in and around educational institutes to ensure the availability of healthy foods to establish and sustain healthy eating behaviours among students. Thus, the study findings emphasise stringent implementation, regular monitoring and surveillance of recently introduced Food Safety and Standards (Safe food and balanced diets for children in school) Regulation 2020, ensuring its compliance through effective enforcement strategies.

The effect of messaging on the acceptance of swaps to reduce the energy content of snacks and non-alcoholic drinks ordered in an experimental online workplace canteen: A randomised controlled trial.

Finding effective ways to increase acceptance of lower-energy swaps offered for snacks and non-alcoholic drinks may reduce population energy intake. We examined whether incrementally increasing the tangibility of information accompanying swaps offered increased their acceptance. UK adults (n = 3481) selected a sweet snack, a savoury snack, and a drink in an experimental online canteen after being equally randomised to receive one of four messages when swaps were offered; a control message providing no specific information, a vague calorie message, an exact numeric-calories message or, a physical activity calorie equivalent (PACE). Primary outcomes were the between-group differences in (i) the odds that a sweet, savoury, or drink swap would be accepted and (ii) the energy content for each type of item ordered. Compared with control, the numeric-calories and PACE messages significantly increased the odds of accepting a sweet snack swap. All interventions significantly increased the odds of accepting savoury swaps compared with control. Only the PACE message significantly increased the odds of drink swap acceptance. The numeric-calories and PACE messages significantly reduced the energy content of sweet snacks. All interventions significantly reduced the energy content of savoury snacks. None of the intervention messages significantly reduced the energy content of drinks compared with control. Increasing the tangibility of information provided when offering swaps increased swap acceptance. PACE messaging was the most promising.

Effectiveness of a Multistrategy Behavioral Intervention to Increase the Nutritional Quality of Primary School Students' Web-Based Canteen Lunch Orders (Click & Crunch): Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: School food outlets represent a key setting for public health nutrition intervention. The recent proliferation of web-based food ordering systems provides a unique opportunity to support healthy purchasing from schools. Embedding evidence-based choice architecture strategies within these routinely used systems provides the opportunity to impact the purchasing decisions of many users simultaneously and warrants investigation. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a multistrategy behavioral intervention implemented via a web-based school canteen lunch ordering system in reducing the energy, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium content of primary students' web-based lunch orders. METHODS: The study used a parallel-group, cohort, cluster randomized controlled trial design with 2207 students from 17 Australian primary schools. Schools with a web-based canteen lunch ordering system were randomly assigned to receive either a multistrategy behavioral intervention that included choice architecture strategies embedded in the web-based system (n=9 schools) or the standard web-based ordering system only (n=8 control schools). Automatically collected student purchasing data at baseline (term 2, 2018) and 12 months later (term 2, 2019) were used to assess trial outcomes. Primary trial outcomes included the mean energy (kJ), saturated fat (g), sugar (g), and sodium (mg) content of student lunch orders. Secondary outcomes included the proportion of all web-based lunch order items classified as everyday, occasional, and caution (based on the New South Wales Healthy School Canteen Strategy) and canteen revenue. RESULTS: From baseline to follow-up, the intervention lunch orders had significantly lower energy content (-69.4 kJ, 95% CI -119.6 to -19.1; P=.01) and saturated fat content (-0.6 g, 95% CI -0.9 to -0.4; P<.001) than the control lunch orders, but they did not have significantly lower sugar or sodium content. There was also a small significant between-group difference in the percentage of energy from saturated fat (-0.9%, 95% CI -1.4% to -0.5%; P<.001) but not in the percentage of energy from sugar (+1.1%, 95% CI 0.2% to 1.9%; P=.02). Relative to control schools, intervention schools had significantly greater odds of having everyday items purchased (odds ratio [OR] 1.7, 95% CI 1.5-2.0; P<.001), corresponding to a 9.8% increase in everyday items, and lower odds of having occasional items purchased (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.6-0.8; P<.001), corresponding to a 7.7% decrease in occasional items); however, there was no change in the odds of having caution (least healthy) items purchased (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.7-1.0; P=.05). Furthermore, there was no change in schools' revenue between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Given the evidence of small statistically significant improvements in the energy and saturated fat content, acceptability, and wide reach, this intervention has the potential to influence dietary choices at a population level, and further research is warranted to determine its impact when implemented at scale. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12618000855224; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=375075. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030538.

Long-term Effectiveness of a Multistrategy Behavioral Intervention to Increase the Nutritional Quality of Primary School Students' Online Lunch Orders: 18-Month Follow-up of the Click & Crunch Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: School food services, including cafeterias and canteens, are an ideal setting in which to improve child nutrition. Online canteen ordering systems are increasingly common and provide unique opportunities to deliver choice architecture strategies to nudge users to select healthier items. Despite evidence of short-term effectiveness, there is little evidence regarding the long-term effectiveness of choice architecture interventions, particularly those delivered online. OBJECTIVE: This study determined the long-term effectiveness of a multistrategy behavioral intervention (Click & Crunch) embedded within an existing online school lunch-ordering system on the energy, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium content of primary school students' lunch orders 18 months after baseline. METHODS: This cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) involved a cohort of 2207 students (aged 5-12 years) from 17 schools in New South Wales, Australia. Schools were randomized to receive either a multistrategy behavioral intervention or the control (usual online ordering only). The intervention strategies ran continuously for 14-16.5 months until the end of follow-up data collection. Trial primary outcomes (ie, mean total energy, saturated fat, sugar and sodium content of student online lunch orders) and secondary outcomes (ie, the proportion of online lunch order items that were categorized as everyday, occasional, and caution) were assessed over an 8-week period at baseline and 18-month follow-up. RESULTS: In all, 16 schools (94%) participated in the 18-month follow-up. Over time, from baseline to follow-up, relative to control orders, intervention orders had significantly lower energy (-74.1 kJ; 95% CI [-124.7, -23.4]; P=.006) and saturated fat (-0.4 g; 95% CI [-0.7, -0.1]; P=.003) but no significant differences in sugar or sodium content. Relative to control schools, the odds of purchasing everyday items increased significantly (odds ratio [OR] 1.2; 95% CI [1.1, 1.4]; P=.009, corresponding to a +3.8% change) and the odds of purchasing caution items significantly decreased among intervention schools (OR 0.7, 95% CI [0.6, 0.9]; P=.002, corresponding to a -2.6% change). There was no between-group difference over time in canteen revenue. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to investigate the sustained effect of a choice architecture intervention delivered via an online canteen ordering systems in schools. The findings suggest that there are intervention effects up to 18-months postbaseline in terms of decreased energy and saturated fat content and changes in the relative proportions of healthy and unhealthy food purchased for student lunches. As such, this intervention approach may hold promise as a population health behavior change strategy within schools and may have implications for the use of online food-ordering systems more generally; however, more research is required. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12618000855224; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=375075.

Secondary school implementation of a healthy eating policy.

ISSUE ADDRESSED: Healthy canteen policies regulating the sales of food and beverages are available across all the states and territories in Australia. The aim of this study was to assess the compliance with a newly updated healthy school canteen policy in New South Wales (NSW) among a sample of secondary schools. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of secondary school canteen menus was undertaken in selected regions across NSW (September 2017-November 2017). Government and Catholic secondary schools with a canteen menu publicly available on school websites were eligible for inclusion. Menus were classified according to the NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy using a Quick Menu Audit tool, previously validated in primary schools. RESULTS: Of 62 Catholic and 128 Government secondary schools located in the study region, 53 secondary schools (25 Catholic and 28 Government) were eligible to participate. The average percentage of "everyday" (healthy) items on secondary school menus was 54% (strategy criteria is >75%). Twenty-eight per cent of menus had no "sugary drinks" (should not be sold). None of the 53 menus assessed met all strategy criteria regarding the availability of foods and beverages. There was no statistically significant difference in meeting; (a) 75% minimum "everyday" items and (b) no "sugary drinks," by socio-economic region, remoteness, school enrolments or school type. CONCLUSIONS: If public health benefits of healthy eating policies are to be realised, secondary schools need to be supported to implement such policies. SO WHAT?: Future research assessing the impact of intervention strategies to support policy implementation in secondary schools is recommended.