IMPLEMENTATION OF A HEALTHY SCHOOL LUNCH DID NOT IMPROVE DIETARY INTAKE AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPILS

Background: Interventions aimed at establishing healthy dietary intake are grounded on epidemiological evidence of the link between diet and non-communicable diseases. We wanted to study if implementation of a healthy school lunch to pupils in lower secondary school would improve their dietary intake. Method: A controlled intervention study with implementation of a healthy school lunch for four months to 9th grade pupils. The pupils were weighed and height was measured before study start and after study end. Fifty eight pupils, 27 boys and 31 girls, participated in the intervention school and 92 pupils, 47 boys and 45 girls, participated in two control schools. The pupils completed a short self-administered food frequency questionnaire and a questionnaire concerning personal and school environmental factors during one school lesson before and after the intervention. Three different attitudes concerning school environmental and behaviour were identified with use of factor analysis; positivity, obedience and mischief. Results: All groups had a significant increase in weight and BMI after the study period, except the girls in the intervention school. Among girls the food score was significantly reduced at study end, in both intervention and control schools (p<0.05 for both groups). A positive attitude to school work correlated with food score (rsp= 0.38, p<0.001) before study start. Belonging to the 4th quartile of the obedient attitude