Facilitators and Barriers to Implementing Healthy School Canteen Intervention among Malaysian Adolescents: A Qualitative Study
This study evaluated implementing a school-based intervention to promote healthier dietary habits in the school environment among Malaysian adolescents using qualitative methods. This qualitative study was conducted in four secondary schools in Perak and Selangor (two urban and two rural schools) th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/9/3078 |
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| author | Nurul Ain Azizan Angeliki Papadaki Tin Tin Su Muhammad Yazid Jalaludin Shooka Mohammadi Maznah Dahlui Mohd Nahar Azmi Mohamed Hazreen Abdul Majid |
| author_facet | Nurul Ain Azizan Angeliki Papadaki Tin Tin Su Muhammad Yazid Jalaludin Shooka Mohammadi Maznah Dahlui Mohd Nahar Azmi Mohamed Hazreen Abdul Majid |
| author_sort | Nurul Ain Azizan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study evaluated implementing a school-based intervention to promote healthier dietary habits in the school environment among Malaysian adolescents using qualitative methods. This qualitative study was conducted in four secondary schools in Perak and Selangor (two urban and two rural schools) that received the intervention (either training or training and food subsidy). A total of eight focus groups (68 students aged 15 years old) and 16 in-depth interviews were conducted with canteen operators, school convenience shop operators, school teachers and school principals in each school. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data to identify suitable themes. We found several initiatives and changes by the schools’ stakeholders to change to a healthy school canteen programme. The stakeholders also noticed the students’ food preferences that influence healthy food intake in canteens and convenience shops. The food vendors and school administrators also found that subsidising healthy meals might encourage healthy eating. Among barriers to implementing healthy school initiatives were the student’s perception of healthy food and their eating habits, which also affect the food vendors’ profit if they want to implement a healthy canteen. The school-based intervention has the potential to promotes healthier eating among school adolescents. Continuous training and monitoring of canteen operators and convenience shops are needed, including building partnerships and educating the students on healthy eating to cultivate healthy eating habits. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:20:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6752b6fbd587405281624183e783d2cb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:20:15Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-6752b6fbd587405281624183e783d2cb2023-11-22T14:37:00ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432021-09-01139307810.3390/nu13093078Facilitators and Barriers to Implementing Healthy School Canteen Intervention among Malaysian Adolescents: A Qualitative StudyNurul Ain Azizan0Angeliki Papadaki1Tin Tin Su2Muhammad Yazid Jalaludin3Shooka Mohammadi4Maznah Dahlui5Mohd Nahar Azmi Mohamed6Hazreen Abdul Majid7Center of Population Health (CePH), Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, MalaysiaCentre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TZ, UKCenter of Population Health (CePH), Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, MalaysiaDepartment of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, MalaysiaCenter of Population Health (CePH), Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, MalaysiaCenter of Population Health (CePH), Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, MalaysiaDepartment of Sports Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, MalaysiaCenter of Population Health (CePH), Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, MalaysiaThis study evaluated implementing a school-based intervention to promote healthier dietary habits in the school environment among Malaysian adolescents using qualitative methods. This qualitative study was conducted in four secondary schools in Perak and Selangor (two urban and two rural schools) that received the intervention (either training or training and food subsidy). A total of eight focus groups (68 students aged 15 years old) and 16 in-depth interviews were conducted with canteen operators, school convenience shop operators, school teachers and school principals in each school. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data to identify suitable themes. We found several initiatives and changes by the schools’ stakeholders to change to a healthy school canteen programme. The stakeholders also noticed the students’ food preferences that influence healthy food intake in canteens and convenience shops. The food vendors and school administrators also found that subsidising healthy meals might encourage healthy eating. Among barriers to implementing healthy school initiatives were the student’s perception of healthy food and their eating habits, which also affect the food vendors’ profit if they want to implement a healthy canteen. The school-based intervention has the potential to promotes healthier eating among school adolescents. Continuous training and monitoring of canteen operators and convenience shops are needed, including building partnerships and educating the students on healthy eating to cultivate healthy eating habits.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/9/3078healthy eatingdietschool-basedadolescentsMalaysia |
| spellingShingle | Nurul Ain Azizan Angeliki Papadaki Tin Tin Su Muhammad Yazid Jalaludin Shooka Mohammadi Maznah Dahlui Mohd Nahar Azmi Mohamed Hazreen Abdul Majid Facilitators and Barriers to Implementing Healthy School Canteen Intervention among Malaysian Adolescents: A Qualitative Study Nutrients healthy eating diet school-based adolescents Malaysia |
| title | Facilitators and Barriers to Implementing Healthy School Canteen Intervention among Malaysian Adolescents: A Qualitative Study |
| title_full | Facilitators and Barriers to Implementing Healthy School Canteen Intervention among Malaysian Adolescents: A Qualitative Study |
| title_fullStr | Facilitators and Barriers to Implementing Healthy School Canteen Intervention among Malaysian Adolescents: A Qualitative Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Facilitators and Barriers to Implementing Healthy School Canteen Intervention among Malaysian Adolescents: A Qualitative Study |
| title_short | Facilitators and Barriers to Implementing Healthy School Canteen Intervention among Malaysian Adolescents: A Qualitative Study |
| title_sort | facilitators and barriers to implementing healthy school canteen intervention among malaysian adolescents a qualitative study |
| topic | healthy eating diet school-based adolescents Malaysia |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/9/3078 |
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