Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Jul 20, 2020
Date Accepted: Oct 20, 2020
Program for Healthier School Cafeterias in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: Protocol for a Community-based Randomized Trial
ABSTRACT
Background:
School cafeterias can promote poor eating habits as these retail outlets have a variety of foods considered to be nonnutritive and unhealthy. However, despite the need for effective preventive strategies, there is still disagreement on the best approach due to the lack of evidence on interventions to prevent and treat obesity in the school settings.
Objective:
We aim to verify the efficacy of an educational intervention program to improve the hygienic conditions and the quality of food offered in school cafeterias in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Methods:
We will conduct a randomized, parallel, two-arm, community-based controlled study. Elementary and high schools, both public and private, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, which have a cafeteria, will be eligible. Schools will be recruited and randomly assigned to the intervention (n=27) or control (n=27) group. The intervention group will receive an educational intervention program based on the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health of Brazil, consisting in a 160-hour distance-learning qualification course, during 10 weeks and using the Moodle platform and WhatsApp app. The intervention targets the food staff service. Meanwhile, the control group will receive only a printed copy of the book containing the guidelines used. Effectiveness of the intervention will be determined by the nutritional quality of foods sold and an assessment of hygienic conditions of the cafeteria.
Results:
This project was funded in early 2018. We administered the intervention program in 2019. All data has already been collected and we are starting to analyze the data. The first results are expected to 2021.
Conclusions:
To our knowledge, this may be the first randomized controlled study in school cafeterias held in Brazil. The results will provide evidence for the formulation of public food and nutritional security policies and for the development of effective strategies to provide safe and healthy school meals. Clinical Trial: Brazilian Platform of Clinical Trials (REBEC – Registro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clínicos) RBR-9rrqhk
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