Schools and Nutrition Policy

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Melissa Rossiter, currently an Assistant Professor in Applied Human Nutrition at Mount Saint Vincent University and a Registered Dietician, conducted a descriptive study through the means of a questionnaire in 2007. This questionnaire, distributed to 130 prospective teachers, was intended to measured their “eating patterns”, “nutrition knowledge” and “personal health beliefs” as well as the “school’s food environment”, and the contribution these measures had on intended food practices in the classroom. The title of the paper is concise and easy to understand, however it fails to mention the relationship with the four aspects mentioned above. The abstract is a brief summary of the intentions behind of the research and explains the interpretation of the results. The introduction elaborates the justification of the research, stressing upon the effect that schools have on students due to school nutrition policies and the roles that teachers have as models, authority figures, and as a resource for knowledge about nutrition. The author believes that a healthier school food environment for both teachers and students can be created through the implications of formal school policies

A thorough methodological design was used to approach the subject of the author’s interest. Appropriate due to the large sample size, a descriptive, cross-sectional, group administered survey design was carried out. . . Strengths of a cross-sectional design include the quickness and easiness to conduct it, as there is no follow up periods. This design allows the researcher to collect data of all variables at onetime through the questionnaire. It also generates many outcomes that can be used for further hypotheses and studies. However, cross-sectiona...

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... effectiveness Further research in this area would be a valuable contribution.

The overall study seems to be thought out and well written, though elaboration on the gender differences would have been interesting. There seems to a neutral tone throughout the paper that is not slanted towards any particular direction. The results seem to be a reflection of the prospective teacher, and not imposed by the authors. Adequate provisions were made to obtain approval from the university’s ethics review board. However, there was no mention of where the funds were received from to carry out the research. The tables were clear to read. The results raise some red flags as to where our focus as professionals should be in order to establish healthy school environments. The study is well prepared, comprehensible and contributes to the every growing pool of knowledge.

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