Early School Leavers and Nutrition Research Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Early School Leavers and Nutrition A needs assessment from a nutrition perspective Suggested citation When referencing this document, please use the following citation: Share, M., Hennessy, M., Stewart-Knox, B. & Davison, J. (2013). Early School Leavers and Nutrition: A needs assessment from a nutrition perspective. Dublin: safefood The Food Safety Promotion Board. Early School Leavers and Nutrition - A needs assessment from a nutrition perspective ISBN: 978-1-905767-39-7 Publication date: December 2013 Foreword I am very pleased to present this safefood commissioned report on Early School Leavers (ESLs) and Diet related health issues. The research was led by Dr Michelle Share at the Children's Research Centre, Trinity College Dublin in collaboration with Dr Barbara Stewart-Knox at University of Ulster, Coleraine. The report represents an all-Ireland needs assessment of food and physical activity-related health issues in alternative education and training settings. Young people in ESLs settings represent a population group at risk of poor health outcomes. Research into the nutrition and physical activity habits of young people who are ESLs is limited. This survey of young people revealed that their diets and physical activity patterns are a concern and similar to other socio-economically marginalised groups. They are at risk of poor health outcomes in terms of the major non-communicable chronic diseases because of poor nutrition, overweight and obesity. This key piece of work contributes to the evidence base in the area of ESLs and their nutritional needs on the island of Ireland (IOI). This includes; mapping the service providers on the IOI, gathering perspectives from young people and service providers and making recommendations for improving the nutritional needs of ESLs. safefood have facilitated two workshops, one each in Dublin and Belfast to develop a response to the recommendations. We are committed to playing our part in promoting healthy eating, which facilitates in the overall health and wellbeing of this important group of young people. Dr Cliodhna Foley-Nolan, Director of Human Health and Nutrition, safefood Early School Leavers and Nutrition - A needs assessment from a nutrition perspective Table of contents 1 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................... 12 2 Introduction and background................................................................................................................... 18 2.1 Project objectives ...................................................................................................................... 18 2.2 Early school leavers ................................................................................................................... 19 2.3 Food and health issues among ESLs ........................................................................................ 23 2.4 Interventions that address food and physical activity in ESL settings .................................25 2.5 The Study ................................................................................................................................... 28 2.6 Overview of the Report ............................................................................................................ 29 3 Research objectives .................................................................................................................................. 30 3.1 Objectives ................................................................................................................................. 30 3.2 Tasks .......................................................................................................................................... 30 3.3 Overview of materials and methods ....................................................................................... 30 3.4 Ethical considerations ............................................................................................................... 32 3.5 Qualitative Methods ................................................................................................................. 32 3.6 Quantitative methods .............................................................................................................. 36 3.7 Data analyses ............................................................................................................................. 41 4 Provision for early school leavers ............................................................................................................ 42 4.1 Northern Ireland ....................................................................................................................... 42 4.2 Republic of Ireland .................................................................................................................... 50 5 Food and physical activity among early school leavers ......................................................................... 58 5.1 Young people’s demographic characteristics ........................................................................ 58 5.2 Food consumption patterns and dietary habits .................................................................... 60 5.3 Food sufficiency ........................................................................................................................ 67 5.4 Body weight satisfaction ......................................................................................................... 69 5.5 Food involvement ...................................................................................................................... 71 5.6 Food choice ................................................................................................................................ 73 5.7 Self-efficacy .............................................................................................................................. 74 5.8 Physical activity ......................................................................................................................... 77 5 Early School Leavers and Nutrition - A needs assessment from a nutrition perspective 5.9 Barriers to young people eating healthily .............................................................................. 80 5.10 Summary ....................................................................................................................................83 6 Food and physical activity in alternative education and training settings .......................................... 84 6.1 Health issues addressed by service providers ........................................................................ 84 6.2 Activities that address food and health issues ...................................................................... 88 6.3 Barriers/facilitators to delivery of nutrition and health-related programmes .................... 97 6.4 Potential programmes or approaches .................................................................................... 102 6.5 Summary .................................................................................................................................. 107 7 Discussion and key findings ................................................................................................................... 109 7.1 Provide an overview of the key structures/networks for accessing early school leavers in NI and ROI [RO1] .................................................................................................................................................. 109 7.2 Identify relevant key existing health promotion activities and gaps in health promoting activities that focus on healthy eating and active lifestyles which target early school-leavers [RO2] ....111 7.3 Identify potential healthy eating and physical activity related programmes that are appropriate and acceptable to early school leavers in NI and ROI that could be implemented by safefood in the out of school setting [R03] ...................................................................................................................... 116 8 Conclusions and Recommendations ....................................................................................................... 118 8.1 Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 119 References ....................................................................................................................................................... 121 Appendices ..................................................................................................................................................... 126 Appendix 1 Project tasks ............................................................................................................................... 126 Appendix 2 Protocol for review of ESL service provision ............................................................................ 128 Appendix 3 Formal, informal and miscellaneous service provision (NI) ....................................................140 Appendix 4 Formal, informal and miscellaneous service provision (ROI) .................................................. 151 6 Early School Leavers and Nutrition - A needs assessment from a nutrition perspective List of Figures Figure 1 Screener Survey Dissemination, ROI