Adherence to school meals among ninth-grade students in the municipal education network of the city of Pelotas, RS, Brazil

The objective was to describe adherence to school meals and possible associated factors among students from the municipal school system in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul. This was a cross-sectional study with students enrolled in the 9th grade of urban municipal elementary schools. Information was collected through a self-administered questionnaire and anthropometric measurements were taken to evaluate nutritional status. Statistical tests including chi-square, linear trend, or Fisher’s exact test were used for bivariate analyses, and Poisson regression with robust variance for crude and adjusted analyses. The prevalence of school meal consumption was 77.9%, with effective adherence (4-5 days/week) at 38.1%, being higher among non-white students (1.39; 95%CI 1.13-1.70) and those who were overweight (1.35; 95%CI 1.13-1.70). The low prevalence of effective adherence indicates the need for nutrition education among students to increase awareness about adequate nutrition, value school meals, and promote healthy choices.

Key words:
School meals; Students; Adolescents