Emma Alving-Jessep

Background: The current means-tested Free School Meals (FSM) policy aims to provide nutritious meals to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the UK secondary school FSM policy on fruit and vegetable (FV) intake, diet quality, nutrient intake, and food insecurity. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 34 UK secondary schools, (England (n=17), Northern Ireland (NI) (n=17)), with varying FSM uptake in those eligible and registered. Dietary intake was assessed using Intake24 dietary recalls; diet quality (Diet Quality Index for Adolescents (DQI-A)) and food security (Child Food Security Survey Module). Multilevel linear regression examined associations between school-level FSM uptake and the primary outcome, FV intake. Secondary outcomes included diet quality, school FV intake, meeting ‘5-a-day’ FV recommendations, energy and nutrient intakes, and food security. Model covariates included school-level (rurality, gender mix, location) and individual-level factors (gender, relative age, deprivation, ethnicity, English as an Additional Language, Special Educational Needs, FSM status). Findings: A total of 1,678 students aged 11-12 and 14-15 years (NI n=823; England n=855) participated. Mean FSM registration and uptake were 39% and 73% respectively. After adjustment for covariates, a 10% increase in FSM uptake was associated with a 0.11 portion/d mean increase in FV intake (95% CI 0.01, 0.20; p=0.02); a 22% increased odds of meeting FV recommendations (OR=1.22 95% CI 1.05, 1.42) and a 0.8 unit mean increase in DQI-A score (95% CI 0.13, 1.47). FSM uptake was not significantly associated with food security .Interpretation: Increased school-level FSM uptake was associated with marginal improvements in FV intake and diet quality, but not food security in UK secondary school students. Strengthening FSM participation and the nutritional quality and attractiveness of school food could enhance uptake, broaden access to healthier options, and support better diet quality among secondary school students.

Since 2020, Europe has faced several system shocks which have led to a cost-of-living crisis and an increase in prevalence of food insecurity. These events

Context: In 2022, less than 18% of UK children aged 5-7 years consumed 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, with an average intake of 3 portions per day. Group settings (eg, schools or nurseries) present an opportunity to apply policies to encourage children’s consumption of novel and healthy foods. Objective: The extent and types of evidence regarding efforts to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables by young children in group settings who reside in high-income countries was investigated in this scoping review. Data Sources: A systematic scoping review was conducted that followed the JBI guidelines and included articles, published from 2012 onward, about methods to increase consumption of novel and/or healthy foods by children aged 3-7 years in settings within local government control and who were residing in high-income countries. Data Extraction: A total of 7000 articles were initially identified, of which 114 were included in this review after screening. Data Analysis: Intervention methods included an array of different techniques from educational programs to repeated exposure, food modification, and behavioral modeling approaches. Conclusion: Interventions administered to children aged between 3 and 7 years in group-based settings have been shown to improve the consumption of healthy foods, specifically fruits and vegetables. Behavioral modeling and sensory play interventions, in particular, present the highest level of success.

Temperament in early childhood is a good predictor of later personality, behavior, and risk of psychopathology. Variation in temperament can be explained by environmental and biological factors. One biological mechanism of interest is the gut microbiome (GM), which has been associated with mental and physical health. This review synthesized existing literature evaluating the relationship between GM composition and diversity, and temperament in early life. Web of Science, PsycInfo, PubMed, and Scopus were searched, and data were extracted according to PRISMA guidelines. In total, 1562 studies were identified, of which six remained following application of exclusion/inclusion criteria. The findings suggest that there is an association between higher alpha diversity and temperament: greater Surgency/Extraversion and High‐Intensity Pleasure in males, and lower Effortful Control in females. Unique community structures (beta diversity) were found for Surgency/Extraversion in males and Fear in females. An emerging pattern of positive temperament traits being associated with GM communities biased toward short‐chain fatty acid production from a metabolism based on dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates was observed and is worthy of further investigation. To gain deeper understanding of the relationship, future research should investigate further the functional aspects of the microbiome and the influence of diet.