Factors influencing nutrition education in elementary schools: A qualitative study.

Background: Curriculum-based nutrition education is a common strategy to build food literacy skills and promote lifelong healthy eating. While past research has reported on the barriers teachers face when teaching about nutrition, very few recent studies have been published on the topic. This paper...

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Publicado en:Health Education Journal Vol. 85; no. 1; pp. 3 - 15
Autores principales: Franco-Arellano, Beatriz, Vogel, Ellen, Stein, Matthew, Brown, Jacqueline Marie, Laketa, Vanessa, Arcand, JoAnne
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Sage Publications Inc. Feb2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Feb2026
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        atl: Factors influencing nutrition education in elementary schools: A qualitative study.
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        au:
          Franco-Arellano, Beatriz
          Vogel, Ellen
          Stein, Matthew
          Brown, Jacqueline Marie
          Laketa, Vanessa
          Arcand, JoAnne
        affil: Faculty of Health Sciences, Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, ON, Canada
      sug:
        subj:
          Nutrition Education
          Schools, Elementary Canada
          Teachers Psychosocial Factors
          Faculty Attitudes Evaluation
          Health Education
          Human
          Funding Source
          Canada
          Female
          Male
          Qualitative Studies
          Descriptive Research
          Semi-Structured Interview
          Interview Guides
          Conceptual Framework
          Thematic Analysis
          Focus Groups
          Audiorecording
          Descriptive Statistics
          Data Analysis Software
          Implementation Science
          Health Promotion
          Professional Development
          Social Class
          Eating Disorders
          Culture
          Leadership
          Female
          Male
      ab: Background: Curriculum-based nutrition education is a common strategy to build food literacy skills and promote lifelong healthy eating. While past research has reported on the barriers teachers face when teaching about nutrition, very few recent studies have been published on the topic. This paper aimed to explore some of the views, barriers and facilitators that teachers face when teaching nutrition in elementary schools. Methods: A descriptive qualitative research study was conducted among elementary school teachers in Ontario, Canada, using a semi-structured interview guide. The guide was informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, and then validated and pilot tested. Two independent researchers inductively coded and thematically analysed the transcripts. Results: Participants (n = 9) indicated that nutrition was an important part of their teaching. Barriers to teaching nutrition included insufficient training/professional development opportunities, limited instructional time, competition with other subjects deemed a higher priority, limited financial resources to pay for teaching materials, lack of French language resources and sensitivities related to culture, socioeconomic status, and eating disorders. In contrast, interactive learning activities, integrating nutrition with other subjects, and support from school leadership, parents and professional organisations were seen as facilitators of nutrition education. Conclusions: Enhancing teacher training, resources and support while prioritising nutrition in the school curriculum is crucial for effective and equitable nutrition education in Canadian elementary schools. Addressing barriers and leveraging the facilitators identified in this study are essential to improve curriculum-based nutrition education provision.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
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        research
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      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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