Aziz, Nurulhuda Abd
(2018)
Food preferences and perceptions of healthy food among primary school children and barrier factors for food selling guideline compliance in Kelantan school canteens.
Masters thesis, Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Abstract
Healthy School Canteen Management Guidelines (HSCMG, 2011) has been
introduced to encourage selling of nutritious food at schools. However, there are
challenges to implement healthy menus at school canteens. Thus, the aim of this study
was to investigate the association between healthy food preferences and perceptions
among primary school children, and also to discover barrier factors that obstruct school
canteen from complying the food selling guidelines under the HSCMG 2011. In Part I
study (quantitative study), it examined children’s sociodemographic characteristics,
body weight status, food intake patterns, as well as relationship between food
preferences and perceptions. Stratified sampling method was applied to select seven
schools. A cross-sectional survey was given to 196 primary school children in
Kelantan. The modified stacking box method was used to help children ranked a
number of foods according to their preferences and perceptions of healthy foods. Then,
Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used to investigate children food intake
patterns. Lastly, Spearman’s Rank-Order Correlation was used to analyse correlation
between selected variables. While in Part II study (qualitative study), purposive
sampling was applied to recruit six teachers who involved in school canteen
management. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted. Part II study used
the Atlas.ti 7 for data management. Results from descriptive statistic showed roastedchicken (62.8%) and boiled egg (67.3%) were ranked by majority respondents as most
preferable food and the healthiest food, respectively. A total of 56.6% children had
ranked steamed sweet potatoes as the least preferred food while 58.2 % children had
ranked French fries as the unhealthiest food. There was positive significant correlation
between preferences and perceived healthy for steamed bun, steamed rice cake, fried
noodles and fried burger beef patty. A negative significant correlation was observed
between BMI and steamed bun preferences (rs = -0.153, P<0.05). Conversely, BMI
was positively associated with preferences for French fries (rs = 0.150, P<0.05) and
fried bread sausage (rs = 0.151, P<0.05). Research finding also discovered eight barrier
factors had discouraged compliance of food selling guidelines included lacking of
implementation and enforcement, children’s food preferences, low socioeconomic
status, profit margin, lacking of effective ways to promote healthy eating, competitive
foods sold outside the school, parents' feeding practices and limitations from school
caterer. In conclusion, children had the ability to recognise healthy food correctly.
However, they still had higher preferences for processed food which is unbalanced
diet. Junk food as well as processed food should be banned at school canteen and not
just categorized as ‘not recommended’. This study suggests that strict enforcement,
effective communication and legislative action is very important in order to ensure
implementation and monitoring of food selling guidelines under the HSCMG 2011
was carried out seriously.
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