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    Policy Versus Practice: School Food Practices Do Not Reflect Healthy Food Guidance in New Zealand Primary Schools
    (Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society, 2025-10-20) Pillay D; Ali A; Wham C; Evans C
    Objective: To examine how school food policies and perceived barriers influence food provision in New Zealand primary school canteens, using the ‘Healthy Food and Drink Guidance for Schools.’ Design: Cross-sectional analyses of school food menus, and school food policy and practices surveys completed by school leaders/principals. Setting: New Zealand primary schools. Participants: 239 primary schools completed the school food policies and practices survey, and 80 schools provided canteen menus. Results: Most schools reported having a healthy food and drink policy in their school (76.2%) and promoted healthy eating during school hours (87.4%). Two-thirds (69.5%) identified barriers to healthy food and drink provision, most commonly the convenience of ready-made foods (39.3%), and resistance from parents (34.3%). The number of reported barriers was not a significant predictor for the presence of a school food policy (OR-1.034, p=0.841). School menus (n=80) consisted of 16.4% ‘green’ items, 34.7% ‘amber’ items, and 36.8% ‘red’ items. There was no relationship between the percentage of ‘green’, ‘amber’, and ‘red’ items and the presence of a school food policy or reported barriers. More than a third (38.9%) of menus from schools that reported they had a ‘Plain Milk and Water’ only policy still contained sugar-sweetened beverages. Conclusions: Although most New Zealand primary schools had healthy food policies, this was not consistently reflected in healthy food items on canteen menus. Further research is needed to understand how systemic barriers, such as cost, convenience, and parental influence, affect policy implementation and school food provision.
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    The effect of healthy food guidance for schools on food availability, purchasing, and consumption among school children in New Zealand and Australia: An integrative review.
    (Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society, 2024-11-27) Pillay D; Ali A; Wham CA
    Modifying the food environment holds promise for instilling healthier behaviours in children and may be an effective public health strategy for preventing childhood obesity and adverse health outcomes. The school food environment is a valuable setting to influence most children's dietary behaviours from an early age, yet evidence suggests that the New Zealand and Australian school food environment is not conducive to healthy food and drink consumption. The present study aimed to investigate the level of compliance in New Zealand and Australia with government guidelines for food and drink availability within schools and the subsequent effect on food consumption and purchasing behaviours of children. A systematic review utilising three databases; 'PubMed', 'Scopus', and the 'Cochrane Library' was conducted. The research covered peer-reviewed studies from both New Zealand and Australia that met predefined inclusion criteria. Fifteen studies focussed on assessing food availability within schools based on government guidelines, and ten studies explored food purchasing and consumption by students influenced by changes to the school food environment. Results showed low compliance with government healthy food guidelines for schools, and significant socioeconomic disparities. Western Australia's clear targets as well as the mandatory monitoring systems in place stand out as being a significant enabler of greater compliance with government food policies. Interventions aimed at improving healthy food availability and promoting healthy options in the canteen may positively influence student purchasing and consumption habits. Strategies such as feedback models and incentivisation hold promise for promoting healthier school environments and influencing children's food choices.
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    Food menus within New Zealand primary school canteens: Do they meet the guidance?
    (John Wiley and Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Health Promotion Association, 2023-08-20) Pillay D; Piddington M; Ali A; Wham C; Wilson A
    ISSUE ADDRESSED: Unhealthy food and drinks are widely available in New Zealand school canteens. The aim of this study was to assess primary school canteen food menus against the newly implemented Ministry of Health 'Food and Drink Guidance for Schools'. METHODS: A convenience sample of 133 primary school canteen menus was collected in 2020 as part of the baseline evaluation of the Healthy Active Learning initiative across New Zealand. A menu analysis toolkit was developed to assess menus in accordance with the Ministry of Health's 'Food and Drink Guidance for Schools' which classifies food items into three food categories: 'green', 'amber' and 'red'. RESULTS: Most menu items belonged to the less healthy amber (41.0%) and red (40%) food categories. Low decile schools had a lower percentage of green food items (8.6%) and a higher percentage of red food items (48.3%) compared to high decile schools. Sandwiches, filled rolls and wraps were the most commonly available items, followed by baked foods and foods with pastry. Over half of the in-house canteen menu items were classified as 'red' foods (55.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Most school canteens were not meeting the guidelines for healthy food and drink provision outlined by the Ministry of Health. Improving the food environment for children in socio-economically deprived areas needs to be prioritised to reduce inequities. SO WHAT?: This study highlights the unhealthy food environments in New Zealand schools and emphasises the need for more robust national policies and mandated school guidance.
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    Examining the New Zealand school food environment: what needs to change?
    (Cambridge University Press, 2022-08-15) Pillay D; Ali A; Wham CA
    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.