Browsing by Author "Ferreira, Raquel J."
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- Analytical assessment and nutritional adequacy of school lunches in Sintra’s public primary schoolsPublication . Nogueira, Telma; Ferreira, Raquel J.; Silva, Vitória Dias da; Pinto, Mariana Liñan; Damas, Carlos; Sousa, JoanaSchool meals present several cost benefits over time in the short, medium, and long term for individuals and society. This cross-sectional study aims to analyze the nutritional composition and evaluate the adequacy of school lunches. One hundred and fifty-eight samples were collected and analyzed from 10 primary schools in Sintra’s municipality, served during one week. On average, energy (27.7% daily energetic requirements) and carbohydrate (48.1%) contents did not reach the reference values, and the content of protein (19.5%) exceeded the reference value (p < 0.05). The mean total fat (28.8%) and saturated fatty acids (5.4%) content complied with the recommendations. The mean salt (1.7 g) and dietary fiber (8.3 g) content exceeded the reference value but did not differ significantly from the recommendations. Addressing school canteens is crucial, not only in a nutritional approach, but also as an opportunity to achieve healthier, sustainable, and accessible food systems, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals 2030. We highlighted the importance of evaluating evidence-based practices and disseminated practice-based evidence regarding the adequacy of school lunches.
- A school-based intervention for a better future: study protocol of Sintra Grows HealthyPublication . Ferreira, Raquel J.; Nogueira, Telma; Silva, Vitória Dias da; Liñan Pinto, Mariana; Sousa, Joana; Pereira, Ana Margarida; Nogueira, Paulo Jorge; Borrego, Rute; Raposo, Ana; Martins, João; Onofre, Marcos; Marques, Adilson; Rodrigues, António; Quitério, Ana; Pereira, AntónioBackground: Preventing childhood obesity is a public health challenge of the twenty-first century and it must be a priority. Governments play a major role in creating and supporting a healthy school environment and should prioritize actions to improve children's health. Sintra Grows Healthy aims to promote healthy lifestyles to prevent childhood obesity and improve children's health-related quality of life and social and emotional skills, through the development of a school evidence-based and sustainable model. Methods: This protocol describes a quasi-experimental design and community-based participatory research. The participants included in the study are the school community of Portuguese public primary schools from the municipality of Sintra. Data will be collected on demographic and socio-economic characterization, nutritional status, eating habits and behaviors, physical activity, sedentary behaviors and sleep, health-related quality of life, and social and emotional skills. Discussion: There is evidence to support interventions in school settings as strategies for obesity prevention. Up-to-date homogeneous and community-based interventions for preventing childhood obesity are lacking, therefore Sintra Grows Healthy intends to fill this gap. Furthermore, Sintra Grows Healthy aims to contribute relevant scientific findings that will allow the development of better strategies for policymakers and society to manage this major public health problem.
- Sintra Grows Healthy: development and implementation of a food literacy curriculum for primary schoolsPublication . Nogueira, Telma; Ferreira, Raquel J.; Sócrates, Marta; Dias da Silva, Vitória; Liñan Pinto, Mariana; Borrego, Rute; Sousa, JoanaObjective: Describe the process of development and implementation of Health at the Table - a food literacy curriculum for primary school-aged children. Design: Through a community-based research process, Health at the table development and implementation took place in four stages: exploratory study, production, implementation, and monitoring. Setting: Primary schools of Sintra's municipality, Portugal. Participants: Children (6 to 10 years), teachers, school staff, and children's legal guardians of three primary schools during the pilot project and eight primary schools in the second year. Results: During the needs assessment phase, 99.1% (n=341) of the children's legal guardians, 100% (n=34) of the teachers, and 100% (n=19) of the school staff considered that the school plays an important or very important role in children's food literacy (stage 1). During the pilot project, a manual with 60 session plans was developed (stage 2). In the second year, Health at the Table was implemented by 72 trained teachers during one school year (stage 3). Most of the teachers agreed that the curriculum was appropriate (69.2%) and that children developed health, wellness/well-being, and environmental skills (83.1%). Most of the children said they had learned about healthy eating (86.3%) and claimed to eat healthier since the Health at the Table implementation (58.9%) (stage 4). Conclusions: Health at the Table is a food literacy curriculum that can be reproduced in similar contexts in a sustainable way. The need to combine educational strategies with a healthy school food environment is reinforced to increase the effectiveness in tackling childhood obesity.