A Regional Scoping Review of School-Based Nutrition Interventions Conducted Across Nordic Countries

While Nordic countries have a relatively high socioeconomic status population, they are challenged by the health deficit of rising obesity and overweight among young people. The aim of this regional scoping review is to identify best practices for designing and implementing effective school nutrition programs in Nordic countries and identify gaps for further research.

Using the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a scoping review was conducted across nine academic databases between 1980 and May 2025.

Fifty-three studies met the inclusion criteria, from small pilot interventions to large national or international cohorts involving thousands of students across the five Nordic countries.

Most intervention studies were multicomponent in nature, combining individual student-focused education, changes to the school environment, and engagement with families or the wider community. The reviewed interventions consistently demonstrated positive impacts on nutrition knowledge, dietary behaviors, and in some cases, physical health indicators, though effect sizes and sustainability varied. Some schools have the advantage of a national nutrition education framework that gives consistency to the nature and extent of nutrition promotion, but all schools have found ways to include nutrition education programs in the curriculum. Government or private entity provisions of healthy meals or snacks have a significant effect on the improvement of youth nutrition, especially for students with limited familial resources.