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Research Article
Sabrina Rasheed
International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research
Corresponding Author
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Background Food habits are directly associated with overweight and obesity in adolescence and adulthood. Urban Bangladeshi school children tend to consume foods dense in calories and few fruits and vegetables. The current study explored the barriers and opportunities for promoting healthy diets in households and schools from the perspective of teachers and parents in urban Bangladesh.
Methods We conducted 14 key informant interviews with school teachers and 6 focus group interviews with mothers of school children. We used inductive thematic analysis manually.
Results Schools were important for development of food preferences, however, most school cafeterias provided foods based on profit rather than health considerations. Mothers were generally concerned about chemicals added to raw foods in markets which led to limited fruit and vegetable consumption. Mothers, especially those who were employed, struggled to have time to prepare healthy foods for their children. Foods prepared outside home have acquired many meanings beyond convenience.
Conclusions There were social, cultural, and environmental challenges to promoting healthy foods to children. It is important to formulate policies and guidance to create a supportive environment for healthy foods in schools. As processed foods and foods prepared outside the home have become an important part of the urban food culture, it is also important to develop and implement strict regulations and guidelines for production, processing, and distribution. It is also important to educate consumers about identifying and choosing healthy foods. Implementing existing laws related to food safety should also boost the population’s confidence in the food system.
Keywords
food habits, urban school children, food safety
Figure 1
No competing interests reported.
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CURRENT STATUS: Under Review
Version 1
Posted 17 Feb, 2021
No community comments so far
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 10 Mar, 2021
Reviews received
Received 21 Feb, 2021
Reviewers agreed
On 19 Feb, 2021
Reviewers agreed
On 18 Feb, 2021
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 17 Feb, 2021
Editor assigned
On 16 Feb, 2021
Editor invited
On 16 Feb, 2021
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On 16 Feb, 2021
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On 21 Jan, 2021
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A new preprint design is coming!
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This preprint is under consideration at BMC Public Health. A preprint is a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research Article
Sabrina Rasheed
International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research
Corresponding Author
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Under Review
Version 1
Posted 17 Feb, 2021
No community comments so far
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 10 Mar, 2021
Reviews received
Received 21 Feb, 2021
Reviewers agreed
On 19 Feb, 2021
Reviewers agreed
On 18 Feb, 2021
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 17 Feb, 2021
Editor assigned
On 16 Feb, 2021
Editor invited
On 16 Feb, 2021
Submission checks complete
On 16 Feb, 2021
First submitted
On 21 Jan, 2021
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background Food habits are directly associated with overweight and obesity in adolescence and adulthood. Urban Bangladeshi school children tend to consume foods dense in calories and few fruits and vegetables. The current study explored the barriers and opportunities for promoting healthy diets in households and schools from the perspective of teachers and parents in urban Bangladesh.
Methods We conducted 14 key informant interviews with school teachers and 6 focus group interviews with mothers of school children. We used inductive thematic analysis manually.
Results Schools were important for development of food preferences, however, most school cafeterias provided foods based on profit rather than health considerations. Mothers were generally concerned about chemicals added to raw foods in markets which led to limited fruit and vegetable consumption. Mothers, especially those who were employed, struggled to have time to prepare healthy foods for their children. Foods prepared outside home have acquired many meanings beyond convenience.
Conclusions There were social, cultural, and environmental challenges to promoting healthy foods to children. It is important to formulate policies and guidance to create a supportive environment for healthy foods in schools. As processed foods and foods prepared outside the home have become an important part of the urban food culture, it is also important to develop and implement strict regulations and guidelines for production, processing, and distribution. It is also important to educate consumers about identifying and choosing healthy foods. Implementing existing laws related to food safety should also boost the population’s confidence in the food system.
Figure 1
No competing interests reported.
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