A review of school nutrition interventions globally as an evidence base for the development of the Healthkick Programme in the Western Cape, South Africa
OUTPUT TYPE: Journal Article
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2009
TITLE AUTHOR(S): N.P.Steyn, E.V.Lambert, W.Parker, Z.Mchiza, A.De Villiers
KEYWORDS: FOOD AND NUTRITION, HEALTHKICK PROGRAMME, SCHOOLS, WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE
Print: HSRC Library: shelf number 6085
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/4587
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/4587
If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Baudin at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za.
Abstract
Aim: The aim of this study was to review all school interventions having a nutrition component, published in peer-reviewed literature between 1995 and 2006, and to document activities that were successful as well as those that were possible barriers in order to develop a best practice school intervention for the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Methodology: A systematic review of school studies revealed 85 interventions that complied with the predetermined search criteria. The following outcome measures were considered in the evaluation of the interventions: (i) changes in nutritional knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy and stage of change; (ii) changes in dietary behaviours; (iii) changes in clinical/physical markers such as body weight or body mass index, blood pressure or serum cholesterol concentrations; and (iv) process and/or policy outcomes. Results: Key success factors of school-based interventions appeared to be the following: A nutrition-based curriculum offered at school by trained teachers generally improved behavioural outcomes. A physical activity programme and parental component were associated with most of the best practice clinical and behavioural outcomes. Furthermore, all best practice studies were grounded on a firm theory of behaviour, such as social cognitive, social marketing or stages of change. Most of the interventions that included a food service component had best practice behavioural outcomes. Conclusions: Numerous school-based nutrition interventions have shown significant improvements in children's nutritional behaviours. Consequently, it is necessary to plan programmes based on existing evidence of best practice. The lessons learnt from this review have been applied in the development of the HealthKick programme initiated in schools in the Western Cape in 2007.-
Related Research Outputs:
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- Breaking the shackles of poverty through education enhancing programmes: a glimmer of optimism in the school nutrition programme
- HealthKick: a nutrition and physical activity intervention for primary schools in low-income settings*
- Reviewing the role of the provincial and district offices in the implementation of assessment policies in the Gauteng and Western Cape provinces
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- Visit to Scotland and England as part of the ETQA task team on the invitation of the National Department of Education
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- Crime and violence in Gauteng schools
- Report on the impact of iron on child development, and community acceptability of a fortified cereal
- Child sexual abuse in Atlantis: a research report
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