Doris Xiomara Monroy-Parada1, Leandro Prieto-Castillo2, Elena Ordaz-Castillo3, María José Bosqued3, Fernando Rodríguez-Artalejo4, Miguel Ángel Royo-Bordonada3. 1. Escuela Nacional de Salud, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, España; Servicio de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Albacete, Albacete, España. Electronic address: doxiomonpa1@gmail.com. 2. Servicio de Promoción de la Salud, Dirección General de Salud Pública, Consejería de Sanidad de Castilla y León, Valladolid, España. 3. Escuela Nacional de Salud, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, España. 4. Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid/IdiPaz, Madrid, España.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To systematically describe the school nutritional policies of the 17 autonomous communities of Spain. METHOD: Through a search of bibliographic databases, web pages and other official information systems, 183 documents of interest were identified. Information was systematically collected with the SNIPE (school nutrition index of programme effectiveness) questionnaire, adapted to Spain, and validated by reference staff of the regional government's health and education ministries. RESULTS: The main objective of the policies is to prevent obesity and improve the nutrition of schoolchildren. The 17 autonomous communities cover the school canteen service, 11 cafeteria and vending machines, and 9 the breakfast service. All communities use the Consensus Document on School Food as a reference for the content of the menu and the nutritional quality of the products offered at the school; however, only 4 of them have regulated these aspects. The evaluation of policy objectives ranges from 58.8% of the autonomous communities for food supply to 5.9% for rotation and menu quality. CONCLUSION: Although all the autonomous communities have standards for the school menu, the standards for the rest of the food supply vary across them; also, evaluation of objectives is scarce and only 4 communities have approved mandatory regulations. Nutritional standards should be reviewed according to current scientific knowledge and enacted by law, in compliance with the current legislation (Act 17/2011).
OBJECTIVE: To systematically describe the school nutritional policies of the 17 autonomous communities of Spain. METHOD: Through a search of bibliographic databases, web pages and other official information systems, 183 documents of interest were identified. Information was systematically collected with the SNIPE (school nutrition index of programme effectiveness) questionnaire, adapted to Spain, and validated by reference staff of the regional government's health and education ministries. RESULTS: The main objective of the policies is to prevent obesity and improve the nutrition of schoolchildren. The 17 autonomous communities cover the school canteen service, 11 cafeteria and vending machines, and 9 the breakfast service. All communities use the Consensus Document on School Food as a reference for the content of the menu and the nutritional quality of the products offered at the school; however, only 4 of them have regulated these aspects. The evaluation of policy objectives ranges from 58.8% of the autonomous communities for food supply to 5.9% for rotation and menu quality. CONCLUSION: Although all the autonomous communities have standards for the school menu, the standards for the rest of the food supply vary across them; also, evaluation of objectives is scarce and only 4 communities have approved mandatory regulations. Nutritional standards should be reviewed according to current scientific knowledge and enacted by law, in compliance with the current legislation (Act 17/2011).
Authors: Miguel Negrín Hernández; Clara Bermúdez-Tamayo; Juan Alguacil; David Cantarero; Gonzalo Casino; Azucena Santillán; Mar García Calvente; David Epstein; Mariano Hernán; Leila Posenato García; Mercedes Carrasco Portiño; María Teresa Ruiz Cantero; Andreu Segura; Javier García Amez; Lucero Juárez; Juan Jaime Miranda; Manuel Franco Tejero; Joan Carles March; Jorge Marcos-Marcos; Zulma M Cucunubá; Blanca Lumbreras; Javier Mar; Rosana Peiró; Carlos Álvarez-Dardet Journal: Gac Sanit Date: 2022 Mar-Apr Impact factor: 2.139