Healthy School lunches factors

Introduction

What factors contribute or counteract the success of providing healthy school lunches for children in Europe? Are these factors related to each other and if so, how do they interact? These were all questions that came up in our Healthy Wave project. Researchers from the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, completed a study to answer these questions, with the help from our consortium partners, who all brought invaluable experience and expertise . Are you curious about our study? Read more!

Healthy eating

Healthy eating is important for all children. A healthy diet is important to prevent chronic diseases later in life, and healthy food at schools can contribute to healthier eating habits. A lot of European countries already provide school lunches. However, aspects like dietary quality, organization or implementation might vary between schools, cities and countries. With the research in Healthy Wave, we want to raise our understanding of the whole system involved in the provision of healthy school lunches in Europe. 

Group model building

During the four study visits to our mentor cities in Almada, Milan, Gothenburg and Cluj, we organized two group model building workshops in each city. Many local stakeholders joined to talk about important factors of the implementation of healthy school lunches and their interconnection. Later, during our Healthy Wave mid-term meeting, we discussed our findings once more. Again, the partners gave useful input to further improve the research.

Causal Loop Diagram

This work resulted in a Causal Loop diagram. This is a visual overview that shows how different variables in a system influence each other. It helps reveal underlying mechanisms. A causal loop diagram can be used to better understand complex systems, such as the system behind the implementation of healthy school lunches in Europe!

Leverage points for system change

Using this causal loop diagram, the research team revealed important mechanisms and was able to identify leverage points. With these leverage points we hope to contribute to a wider implementation of healthy lunches across Europe. Soon, the results will be ready to share on the website and in a scientific journal. Keep your eyes open for it!