Adesão à alimentação escolar em estudantes do 9º ano da rede municipal de ensino da cidade de Pelotas, RS

Abstract

Providing healthy meals to all students in public schools is an essential proposition, yet the National School Feeding Program has not yet overcome the challenge of achieving effective adherence. Adolescence, characterized by intense biological and psychological changes, implies greater nutritional demand due to rapid growth. Additionally, adolescents have greater autonomy, thus dietary choices can be significantly and durably influenced, making this phase a critical stage for healthy development. Opting for inadequate nutrition can negatively impact health and contribute to excessive weight gain. Therefore, the present study aimed to describe the adherence to school meals and potential associated factors among urban-area students in the municipality of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul. A cross-sectional study was conducted with all students enrolled in the ninth grade, in both morning and afternoon shifts, in the 25 complete municipal primary schools linked to the Health in School Program, located in the urban area of this municipality. For population characterization and investigation of variables of interest, a standardized questionnaire was used. Weight and height measurements were also taken using a Tanita brand balance with a capacity of 150 kg and accuracy of 100 grams, and a wall-mounted measuring tape with an inverted scale. Nutritional status was evaluated according to the anthropometric indicator body mass index for age in the AnthroPlus software. The data were double-entered into Epidata 3.1, and statistical analyses were performed using Stata 13.0. Chi-square, linear trend or Fisher’s exact statistical tests were used for bivariate analyses and Poisson regression with robust variance for crude and adjusted analyses. A significance level of 5% was considered for all analyses. The prevalence of effective adherence to school meals was 38.1%, higher among students with a different skin color compared to those with white skin color and higher among those who were overweight. Low prevalence of effective adherence to school meals, similar to previous studies conducted, underscores the need to work on nutritional and dietary education among students with the aim of increasing awareness about the importance of proper nutrition, the food offered by the school, and promoting healthy choices, ultimately leading to better program adherence.