Impact of COVID-19 School-Related Policies in Ontario on Parents’ School Lunch Packing Habits
Publication: Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
25 August 2022
Abstract
Purpose: COVID-19 has disrupted the daily routines of many Canadian families. In Ontario, provincially mandated public health measures have resulted in significant changes to school policies, including those related to food. The impact of COVID-19 related school food policies on parental lunch packing habits is unknown; therefore, this study investigated how school-related COVID-19 policies have impacted parental school lunch packing habits.
Methods: Parents (N = 287) of school-aged children were recruited from parent-specific Facebook groups across Ontario, Canada, to complete an online survey regarding lunch packing habits. This survey was developed based on findings from a previously conducted scoping review. Open-ended survey responses were inductively analyzed.
Results: Three over-arching themes were constructed: (1) Food Programs and COVID-19; (2) Schedule Changes; and (3) School Policy Changes. Parents explained that the cancellation or modification of food programs at schools, changes to the length of time children are given to eat at school, and removal of access to microwaves, garbage cans, and teacher assistance during lunch have forced parents to change their lunch packing habits.
Conclusion: Findings from this study demonstrate a need for better support to help ease the burden parents experience when packing their child’s school lunch, during an already extremely stressful time.
Résumé
Objectif. La COVID-19 a perturbé la routine quotidienne de nombreuses familles canadiennes. En Ontario, les mesures de santé publique imposées par la province ont entraîné des changements considérables dans les politiques scolaires, entre autres en ce qui concerne les aliments. On ne connaît pas l’impact des politiques alimentaires scolaires liées à la COVID-19 sur les habitudes des parents quant à la préparation des dîners pour l’école, et c’est sur cet impact que portait cette étude.
Méthodes. Des parents (N = 287) d’enfants d’âge scolaire ont été recrutés à partir de groupes Facebook axés sur la parentalité en Ontario, au Canada, pour répondre à un sondage en ligne sur les habitudes de préparation des dîners pour l’école. Ce sondage a été élaboré sur la base des conclusions d’un examen de la portée réalisé préalablement. Les réponses aux questions ouvertes du sondage ont été analysées de manière inductive.
Résultats. Trois thèmes généraux ont été établis : (1) programmes alimentaires et COVID-19; (2) changements d’horaires; et (3) changements de politique scolaire. Les parents ont expliqué que l’annulation ou la modification de programmes alimentaires dans les écoles, les changements quant au temps accordé aux enfants pour manger à l’école et le retrait de l’accès à des micro-ondes, à des poubelles et à l’aide des enseignants pendant le dîner ont obligé les parents à changer leurs habitudes de préparation des dîners.
Conclusions. Les conclusions de cette étude révèlent la nécessité de mieux soutenir les parents afin d’alléger le fardeau de la préparation des dîners pour l’école au cours d’une période déjà extrêmement stressante.
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Published In
Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
Volume 84 • Number 1 • March 2023
Pages: 10 - 16
Editor: Naomi Cahill
History
Received: 4 July 2021
Accepted: 1 June 2022
Version of record online: 25 August 2022
Copyright
© 2023.
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AlannaShwedMSc, BrianneO’RourkeMSc, BrendaBrunerPhD, and KristenFergusonPhD. 2023. Impact of COVID-19 School-Related Policies in Ontario on Parents’ School Lunch Packing Habits. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research.
84(1): 10-16. https://doi.org/10.3148/cjdpr-2022-022
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