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Planning, implementing and Planning, implementing and evaluating a school nutrition evaluating a school nutrition

project in Chinaproject in China

Authors: Carmen Aldinger (HHD/EDC), Yu Sen-Hai (formerly WHO), Peter Glasauer (FAO)

Presenter: Phyllis Scattergood (HHD/EDC)

APHA Annual Meeting 2001, Atlanta, GA

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OutlineOutline

• Introduction

• Children’s nutrition status in Zhejiang Province, China

• Interventions based on WHO/FAO Document

• Results from Mid-term Evaluation

• Next Steps

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China/WHO School Nutrition ProjectChina/WHO School Nutrition ProjectZhejiang Province, Hangzhou and WenzhouZhejiang Province, Hangzhou and Wenzhou

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Project Goals and ObjectivesProject Goals and Objectives

• Overall Goals

• Improvement of Nutrition and Health Status

• Develop Model Health Promoting Schools

• Project Objectives

• Improvement of food intake and dietary behavior

• Introduce changes to win bronze medal

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TimelineTimeline

• April 2000 Launching of project, initial training

• April 2001Mid-Term Evaluation

• April/May 2002Final Evaluation

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School Policies

SchoolHealth

Education

HealthySchool

Environment

School HealthServices

Nutrition and Food Programs

Community &Family

Involvement& Outreach

Physical Exercise,Recreation

& Sport

Counseling& SocialSupport

Health Promotionfor School Staff

Courtesy of WHO Global School Health Initiative

How Can Health-Promoting SchoolsHow Can Health-Promoting SchoolsPromote Healthy Nutrition?Promote Healthy Nutrition?

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Children’s Nutrition StatusChildren’s Nutrition Status

• National 1992 Survey:– Inadequate nutrient intake, especially in rural areas– Protein: 88% RDA, Calcium: 38% RDA– Iron deficiency in primary school children: 13-

26%

• Hangzhou 1998 Survey:– Malnutrition: 22.5%– Overweight: 24.6%

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Children’s Nutrition Status (cont.)Children’s Nutrition Status (cont.)

• Many students do not eat breakfast– 22% of students feel hungry in late morning– 69% feel hungry sometimes

• Meeting participants identified as problems: – students do not eat breakfast– school lunches and vendor food are not always

nutritious

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Baseline SurveyBaseline Survey

• Conducted in May 2000

• Sample: – 2574 elementary students– 4275 middle school students– 661 teachers and staff– 1048 parents and guardians

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Baseline SurveyBaseline Survey

• General information

• Status of breakfast, lunch, supper

• Knowledge (nutrition knowledge and other health knowledge)

• Attitude

• Practice (children, teachers, parents)

• Body Mass Index

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InterventionsInterventions

• School health teams established in all pilot schools

• Training of teachers, cafeteria staff, students, and parents

• Providing relevant materials

• Drawing and essay competitions

• Multi-disciplinary interventions

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School Report Highlights School Report Highlights from Hangzhoufrom Hangzhou

• Jiubao Primary School: outreach to community

• Jiubao Middle School: opened to parents

• Sijiqing Primary School: nutritious recipes

• Chao Yang Middle School: addressed various components of HPS

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StrengthsStrengths

• Commitment and enthusiasm

• Various components of HPS addressed

• Nutrition education is combined with ‘daily teaching’

• Students learn by doing

• Students effectively influence their parents

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ChallengesChallenges

For schools:

• Increasing parent and community participation

• Creating simpler, effective materials

For us:

• Transmitting concept of action plan

• Language barrier

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Next StepsNext Steps

• Final Evaluation in Hangzhou,

April 2002

• Sustaining interventions in pilot schools

• Spreading experience in China and around the world

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Contact InformationContact Information

Carmen Aldinger, MPH

Education Development Center, Inc.

Health and Human Development Programs

55 Chapel Street, Newton, MA 02458 USA

Tel. 617-618-2362 or 1-800-225-4276

Fax 617-527-4096

Email caldinger@edc.org

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http://www2.edc.org/HHD/cal.asphttp://www2.edc.org/HHD/cal.asp

“School Nutrition Project in China Changes Attitudes, Habits”

Web site report on Mid-Term Evaluation of the China School Nutrition Project