The Peterborough Schools Nutrition Project: a multiple intervention programme to improve school-based eating in secondary schools

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate over two years the effectiveness of multiple interventions targeted at lunches in secondary schools with the aim of increasing the consumption of healthier foods by children during the school day. DESIGN: Controlled comparison study of two intervention schools targeted with multiple interventions to increase both the availability and the number of pupils consuming healthier foods, and one control school with no interventions but with the same observations over a two-year period. SETTING: Three secondary schools in Peterborough, England. SUBJECTS: Secondary school children in the three schools taking school lunches between 1996 and 1998. RESULTS: School Food Groups (SFGs) were set up in both intervention schools. All catering interventions were actioned via the SFGs. Of the food availability targets, only the target to increase the availability of high-fibre bread in both intervention schools was met. The availability of food items at the control school remained stable. The proportion of pupils consuming fruit and vegetables/salad was very low in all schools at baseline. There were positive changes for consumption of fruit and non-fried potato in one intervention school, and for high-fibre bread and non-cream cakes at the other in the short term, but only that for high-fibre bread was close to being sustained at the end of the two years. The dietary consumption target for vegetables/salad was achieved by the final monitoring period in one school. CONCLUSION: Overall there were no significant changes in school-based eating at the end of the study. Some positive changes were made, with some of the dietary targets being achieved at an early stage but not sustained. Ultimately this study has shown how difficult it is to achieve sustained dietary changes in the eating habits of secondary school children, even with considerable input.