The Covid-19 pandemic has shown the importance of school and community food programs aimed at improving dietary intake, health and well-being, cognition and educational achievement of children and young people. The effects of Covid-19 pandemic on world economies coupled with the potential for pre-existing health and educational inequalities to widen has given rise to a renewed interest in school and community feeding programs across the world.
There are numerous school health and nutrition interventions worldwide, ranging from macro programs led by governments, NGO’s to smaller local initiatives often based in individual schools. Over the last decade more and more education sector planners are recognising the importance of school health and nutrition programs as a key component in terms of meeting nutritional, cognitive, educational, social, economic and cultural needs of children, adolescents, their families and communities. Research has demonstrated that schools can provide an effective vehicle to deliver such interventions as they provide a means of delivering age-appropriate knowledge as well as providing a means to access a service (e.g. school dinners, school breakfast clubs) at a national, regional and local level. However, during prolonged periods, as in the case of school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic, many families are forced to rely heavily on community programs, food banks, and additional government payments or food vouchers.
The multi-faceted nature of this Research Topic results in it spanning a number of diverse disciplinary backgrounds encompassing a number of different theoretical perspectives. In this Research Topic, we wish to bring together a collection of original, review and opinion papers from international researchers and practitioners from across a diverse range of disciplines. In doing so, we hope that it will provide an excellent resource for academics and practitioners alike and will support policy and programme implementers in making evidence-informed decisions.
The Covid-19 pandemic has shown the importance of school and community food programs aimed at improving dietary intake, health and well-being, cognition and educational achievement of children and young people. The effects of Covid-19 pandemic on world economies coupled with the potential for pre-existing health and educational inequalities to widen has given rise to a renewed interest in school and community feeding programs across the world.
There are numerous school health and nutrition interventions worldwide, ranging from macro programs led by governments, NGO’s to smaller local initiatives often based in individual schools. Over the last decade more and more education sector planners are recognising the importance of school health and nutrition programs as a key component in terms of meeting nutritional, cognitive, educational, social, economic and cultural needs of children, adolescents, their families and communities. Research has demonstrated that schools can provide an effective vehicle to deliver such interventions as they provide a means of delivering age-appropriate knowledge as well as providing a means to access a service (e.g. school dinners, school breakfast clubs) at a national, regional and local level. However, during prolonged periods, as in the case of school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic, many families are forced to rely heavily on community programs, food banks, and additional government payments or food vouchers.
The multi-faceted nature of this Research Topic results in it spanning a number of diverse disciplinary backgrounds encompassing a number of different theoretical perspectives. In this Research Topic, we wish to bring together a collection of original, review and opinion papers from international researchers and practitioners from across a diverse range of disciplines. In doing so, we hope that it will provide an excellent resource for academics and practitioners alike and will support policy and programme implementers in making evidence-informed decisions.
