Does organic food intervention in the Danish schools lead to change dietary patterns? - results of a web based questionnaire survey among Danish school food coordinators

Summary

Now, more than ever, there are serious health concerns for the growing prevalence of obese and overweight children. Schools are well suited setting for the learning of children and young people, and this influence has the potential to play an important role in preventing children from becoming obese and overweight. The school at the same time is the focus of public organic food supply strategies as well as the focus of innovation strategies that can increase the availability of healthier food options. These strategies in some cases go hand in hand. The purpose of this research was to examine whether organic food intervention strategies in school meal system could support the development of healthier eating patterns among children and adolescents. An important precondition for this is that the food environment becomes supportive for such eating. In the current study this was determined through the comparisons between the food strategies of “organic” school to that of “non organic” schools in Denmark. Provision of meals in Danish schools in not compulsory and function as a “value adding service” that schools and municipalities can decide on locally. Therefore the study was undertaken among school food coordinators in selected Danish primary schools that were known to provide school meals. The study was conducted by means of a web-based questionnaire. The data shows the relations regarding the school food service between different types of schools, and also based on the ways and methods of food provision. Results indicate that organic food intervention strategies can be supportive for strategies that increase the healthiness of school eating environments. This eventually might play a positive role in the efforts done to counteract the development of obesity and overweight issues among the children in these selected Danish schools.