Table 1.
Summary of respondents and information collected
| Source of information | Type of questionnaire | Information provided |
|---|---|---|
| School principal (n 85) | Self-administered questionnaire | • School environment (drinking water, electricity, food garden) |
| • Nutrition policies | ||
| • Whether school meal, foods sold to learners and learners’ lunch box were usually discussed by the School Governing Body | ||
| Educator responsible for coordinating the operational requirements of the school feeding (school feeding coordinator) (n 77) | Self-administered questionnaire | • Aspects related to the school meal and the food handlers |
| Food handlers (n 84) (one randomly selected food handler per school) | Interviewed by a field worker | • Experience with preparing the school meal and training received |
| Grade R (reception year) to grade 7 educators (n 687) (one randomly selected educator per | Self-administered questionnaire | • Their interest and training received in nutrition |
| grade). Results showed that 22 % were male | • Nutrition included in classroom teaching | |
| and 78 % female; 47 % were between 40 and 50 years old; 52 % had been at the current school for at least 10 years | • Their perceived role in nutrition education and promoting healthy eating among learners | |
| • Whether school meal, foods sold to learners and learners’ lunch box were usually discussed by Parent–Educator Association | ||
| • Perceived nutritional problems affecting the learners | ||
| Grade 5 to 7 learners (n 2547) (30 randomly selected learners in grades 5 to 7; 10 per grade per school). Results showed that 49·7 % | Completed questionnaire in small groups under guidance of a field worker | • Whether breakfast was consumed and what foods were eaten |
| were boys and 50·3 % girls | • Whether foods were brought to school and what food items were brought | |
| • Whether foods were purchased during school hours and what food items were purchased | ||
| Parents (n 731) (the original plan of randomly selecting parents for grade 5 learners was abandoned as some of the parents were working during school hours and others, especially in farm schools, did not have transport to come to school; we settled for a convenience sample of 10 parents per school). Results showed that 14 % were male and 86 % female; mostly in the age-groups of 31–40 years (38 %) and 41–50 years (27 %) | Interviewed by a field worker | • Their thoughts on the school meal and foods sold to learners and how these could be improved |
| Weekly school menu (n 75) and the meal served on the day of the survey | By observation using a checklist | • Foods on the school menu and served on the survey day |
| Tuck shops and food vendors either on or outside the school premises (n 74) (foods available to the learners from a spaza shop/café/shop outside the school premises, as well as foods sold by educators and fellow learners were excluded for logistical reasons) | By observation using a checklist | • Foods available to the learners on the day of the survey |