engleski

Does number of school meals affect overall dietary intake and body mass index in primary school children?

School meals (SMs) provide an important contribution to overall nutrition. Schools’ food service in Croatia offers up to three meals (breakfast, lunch and snack) out of which parents choose how many SMs the child will consume. The aim was to assess whether the number of SMs affects the overall dietary intake and are associated with body mass index (BMI) in primary school children. Dietary record for two non- consecutive weekdays was used to estimate dietary intake in children (n=156 ; 50% girls) aged 7-8 years from elementary schools in Zagreb City. Daily energy and nutrient intake were compared with National guidelines for SMs for children in primary schools. Children were divided in 4 groups according to the number of consumed meals provided by school food service: 0 meal (27%), 1 meal (33%), 2 meals (12%) and 3 meals (28%). Daily energy intake did not differ between groups. Children who ate up to 3 SMs, after adjustment for energy intake and gender, had higher intake of fat (p=0.001) and carbohydrates (p<0.001), but lower intake of fibre (p=0.016) compared with children who ate one SM or none. More than 60% of children had inadequate intake of energy and macronutrients according to national guidelines in all 4 groups. No association was observed between number of consumed SMs and BMI-age Z-score. SMs do not affect the overall dietary intake nor BMI due to their lower nutritional quality. Both parents and the school system should provide more nutritious meals to improve the overall diet quality in children.

school meals ; weight status ; children ; dietary intake

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