[Food habits of students using school dining rooms in Spain. "Tell Me How You Eat" Study].
OBJECTIVE
To describe food habits of school-aged population having school meals and to evaluate perceived quality of the service.


METHODS
Descriptive cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Community School lunchrooms in different Spanish regions.


METHODS
Random population sample of children and young people (3-16 year) having school meals in Spain.


METHODS
The study protocol included socio-economical data, food consumption and dietary habits at the school and out of the school. Information was collected by means of two questionnaires: one completed by children at school and a second one completed by the family at home.


RESULTS
Valid response was collected from 322 children and 212 families, a response rate of 96.1% children and 63.3% of the families. 88% of the children reported daily consumption of breakfast, 45% used to have a midmorning snack, which consisted of a sandwich (29%); sweet bakery products (27%) or biscuits (15%). 45% of the 12-16-year-old old group reported eating only half of the portion served at lunch in the school, mainly due to disgusting taste or preparation (50%). In the school menus vegetables and fish were offered less frequently than other food groups. 81% of the children referred having an after-school snack in the afternoon, consisting of a sandwich (65%); bakery products (20%); bread and chocolate (20%); yoghurt or fruit (20%).


CONCLUSIONS
School meals provide a wonderful opportunity to widen the variety of foods in the daily diet of children. Recommendations about school meals should address the quality and variety of the foods served for a healthy diet and stress the educational dimension.
Unidad de Nutrición Comunitaria, Subárea Municipal de Salud Pública, Luis Briñas 18, 4a planta, 48013 Bilbao, Spain. bisaludpublica@wanadoo.es
J
J
Aranceta Bartrina
C
C
Pérez Rodrigo
L
L
Serra Majem
A
A
Delgado Rubio
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D012572:School Health Services; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires