Assessment of Schools Health Activities and Programs in the Field of Healthy Diet and Nutrition in Tabriz City in 2017

Poor nutritional habits along with physical activity levels are among the main causes of obesity and overweight in children and teenagers. Considering the importance of school health and nutrition for children and teenagers, this study was conducted to assess school health activities and programs in the field of healthy diet and nutrition.
This cross-sectional and applied study was conducted in 2017. The statistical population consisted of all school health principals and teachers in Tabriz city. Sampling was done in the first stage by stratified method and in the second stage; a simple random sampling was utilized on 93 schools. The data collection tool was the school health principals and teachers profile. Data were analyzed by SPSS 22 software using descriptive statistics (percentage and frequency/mean ± SD) and analytical tests (U Mann Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis Tests).
According to the findings, 84.9 percent of schools had a store, dining room or buffet for snacks, drinks, and other meals. Promotional activities such as encouraging students to drink water (94.6 %), promoting the use of fruits and vegetables in schools, and providing useful and necessary information for students and their families (76.3 %) were conducted by most schools. 90.3 % of schools prevented the advertisement of candy, sweets, fast food and carbonated soft drinks in the school environment, and 75.3 % prevented the advertisement of candy, sweets, fast food and carbonated drinks in publications and school curriculum.
Most schools do not have much activity in providing healthy food and allocating space for breakfast and meals. Most schools have a good performance profile in terms of educational and training activities, the prohibition of harmful food promotions, and the availability of clean drinking water. Findings of this study can help health managers and health authorities to take the necessary steps to solve the problems based on the status quo.