Nutrition education for adolescents: principals' views

This study aimed to examine school principals' perceptions of the school environment in Hong Kong as a context for the dissemination of food knowledge and inculcation of healthy eating habits. A questionnaire survey was administered in secondary schools in Hong Kong to survey Principals' views of students' food choices, operation of the school tuck shop, and promotion of healthy eating at school. Questionnaires were disseminated to all the secondary schools offering Home Economics (300 out of 466), and 188 schools responded, making up a response rate of 63%. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS. Most of the schools (82%) claimed to have a food policy to monitor the operation of the school canteen, and about half (52%) asserted there were insufficient resources to promote healthy eating at school. Principals (88%) generally considered it not acceptable for the school tuck shop to sell junk food; however, 45% thought that banning junk food at school would not help students develop good eating habits. Only 4% of the principals believed nutrition education influenced eating habits; whereas the majority (94%) felt that even with acquisition of food knowledge, students may not be able to put theory into practice. Cooking skills were considered important but principals (92%) considered transmission of cooking skills the responsibility of the students' families. Most of the principals (94%) believed that school-family collaboration is important in promoting healthy eating. Further efforts should be made to enhance the effectiveness of school food policies and to construct healthy school environments in secondary schools.