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Parent Perception of School Meals in the San Joaquin Valley during COVID-19: A Photovoice Project

Parent Perception of School Meals in the San Joaquin Valley during COVID-19: A Photovoice Project

Authors :
Tatum M. Sohlberg
Emma C. Higuchi
Valeria M. Ordonez
Gabriela V. Escobar
Ashley De La Rosa
Genoveva Islas
Cecilia Castro
Kenneth Hecht
Christina E. Hecht
Janine S. Bruce
Anisha I. Patel
Source :
Nutrients, Volume 15, Issue 5, Pages: 1087
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2023.

Abstract

School-based nutrition programs are crucial to reducing food insecurity. The COVID-19 pandemic adversely impacted students’ school meal participation. This study seeks to understand parent views of school meals during COVID-19 to inform efforts to improve participation in school meal programs. Photovoice methodology was used to explore parental perception of school meals in San Joaquin Valley, California, a region of predominately Latino farmworker communities. Parents in seven school districts photographed school meals for a one-week period during the pandemic and then participated in focus group discussions and small group interviews. Focus group discussions and small group interviews were transcribed, and data were analyzed using a team-based, theme-analysis approach. Three primary domains emerged: benefits of school meal distribution, meal quality and appeal, and perceived healthfulness. Parents perceived school meals as beneficial to addressing food insecurity. However, they noted that meals were unappealing, high in added sugar, and unhealthy, which led to discarded meals and decreased participation in the school meal program. The transition to grab-and-go style meals was an effective strategy for providing food to families during pandemic school closures, and school meals remain an important resource for families experiencing food insecurity. However, negative parental perceptions of the appeal and nutritional content of school meals may have decreased school meal participation and increased food waste that could persist beyond the pandemic.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20726643
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Nutrients
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....308e2583858b2588ebfb8d1c6f80c4a0
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15051087