Article

From paper to practice: barriers to adopting nutrition guidelines in schools.

Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Journal of nutrition education and behavior (impact factor: 1.36). 11/2011; 44(2):114-22. DOI:10.1016/j.jneb.2011.04.005 pp.114-22
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT To explore the barriers associated with the adoption of the Alberta Nutrition Guidelines for Children and Youth in schools according to characteristics of the innovation (guidelines) and the organization (schools).
Cross-sectional telephone survey.
Schools in Alberta, Canada. Principals from 357 schools.
Barriers to adopting the nutrition guidelines.
A 19-question telephone survey, including open- and closed-ended questions, was used to obtain information regarding schools' characteristics and barriers to adopting the guidelines. Qualitative data were coded according to common themes a priori, based on constructs from the Diffusion of Innovations framework.
Schools reported many barriers related to the relative advantage, compatibility, and complexity of adopting the guidelines. Parents' resistance to change and cost were the key reported barriers. Lack of knowledge, student preferences, the physical location of the school, and barriers related to the provision of healthful food were also reported.
Disseminating guidelines without providing adequate support for their implementation may not promote change within the school setting. School nutrition initiatives need to involve the parents and have access to sufficient financial and human resource support.

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Keywords

19-question telephone survey
 
Alberta Nutrition Guidelines
 
Barriers
 
common themes
 
compatibility
 
constructs
 
Cross-sectional telephone survey
 
Disseminating guidelines
 
healthful food
 
human resource support
 
Innovations framework
 
nutrition guidelines
 
Parents' resistance
 
physical location
 
Principals
 
Qualitative data
 
relative advantage
 
School nutrition initiatives
 
schools
 
schools' characteristics