Influence of nursing care in promoting healthy school lunch boxes

Abstract

The present investigative work had the objective of describing the influence of nursing care in promoting healthy lunch boxes for schoolchildren. The methodology used was quantitative, comparative, positivist paradigm, non-experimental design, with direct observation and checklist instrument, applied to 125 school lunch boxes, in four educational establishments. The results showed that, initially, the lunch boxes included construction foods (62%), sweets, empanadas (58%), packaged drinks (52%), fruits-vegetables (36%). After the educational intervention provided by nursing professionals and a nutritionist, to parents and/or representatives, 85% of school lunch boxes included building-energy foods, fruits-vegetables, water, natural soft drinks, that is, a percentage greater than 25% of the found prior to the educational intervention, while less than 10% of these lunch boxes had cakes, puddings, empanadas,  foods with high trans fats, salt, sugar, a percentage five times lower than that found prior to the educational intervention. In conclusion, the hypothesis was verified that nursing care applied through educational counseling promoted parental awareness of the need to prepare healthy lunch boxes.