Food sustainability education as a route to healthier eating: Evaluation of a multi-component school programme in English primary schools

Morley, A.; Salmon, D.; Jones, Matthew; Dailami, Narges; Weitkamp, Emma; Kimberlee, Richard; Orme, Judy

Abstract

Promising approaches to the promotion of healthier eating among children in primary school settings include the opportunity to practise practical cooking and growing, promoting the take up of healthier school meals and nutritional education. However, less is known about the potential for strategies that integrate approaches through a focus on food sustainability issues - such as the promotion of awareness about local, seasonal, organic, fair trade and higher animal welfare foods. This paper presents an evaluation of the Food for Life Partnership, a multi-component programme that sought to address both the health and sustainability aspects of food. The study consisted of a two-stage cross-sectional survey of Years 5 and 6 students (ages 9-11) in 30 primary schools at enrolment and after 18-24 months, combined with an analysis of programme delivery. Higher self-reported fruit and vegetable consumption in the second stage survey was associated with a range of indicators of school participation in the programme. These included the reform of school meal procurement and preparation; experiential food growing, cooking and farm-based education and improved opportunities for stakeholder engagement. The study therefore develops a case for multilevel programmes that incorporate sustainability issues alongside experiential food education in primary school settings. © 2011 The Author. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jun 1, 2012
• Deposit Date: Mar 22, 2012
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 15, 2016
• Journal: Health Education Research
• Print ISSN: 0268-1153
• Electronic ISSN: 1465-3648
• Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 27
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 448-458
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cys016
• Keywords: food, sustainability, education, healthy eating, multi-component school programme, England, primary schools
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/954016
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/her/cys016
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Health Education Research following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version "Jones, M., Dailami, N., Weitkamp, E., Kimberlee, R., Salmon, D. and Orme, J. (2012) Food sustainability education as a route to healthier eating: Evaluation of a multi-component school programme in English primary schools. Health Education Research, 27 (3). pp. 448-458" is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/her/cys016.
• Contract Date: Nov 15, 2016