Facilitators and barriers for implementing the Generation Healthy Kids school lunch program

Abstract Background This abstract discusses a principal component of the school-based intervention in Generation Healthy Kids: A free-of-charge, healthy and climate-friendly school lunch program. The program is accompanied by pedagogical and practical principles for school staff to promote ‘the good school meal situation’, and school staff receive a 4-hour course to be able to take on the role as “mealtime hosts”. This study investigates how school staff deliver the school lunch program, and mechanisms facilitating or hindering the implementation. Methods For this abstract, data from 11 participant observations in two classes (a 1st and a 2nd grade class) are included together with five informal interviews with school staff members participating in the lunch program in these classes. School staff's delivery of the lunch program is elucidated through descriptive analysis. Facilitating and hindering factors for implementation are explored through thematic analysis. Data collection and analyses are ongoing, i.e., data from more schools, classes and school staff members will be included in the workshop. Results The preliminary analyses show that some school staff adhere to most of the health pedagogical principles, while others only adhere to a few. Factors facilitating and hindering implementation of the lunch program could be categorized into four themes: school staff's choice of role during the lunch; school staff's authority, time allocated for the lunch, and variety of menus. It is furthermore found that adhering to one pedagogical principle (e.g., engaging in conversation with the children in a smaller table group) may make it difficult to adhere to another (e.g., ensuring a positive attitude towards the food from all children in the class). Conclusions Preliminary analyses show diversity in the delivery of the lunch program, a range of factors facilitating and hindering implementation, and challenges with adhering to all pedagogical principles simultaneously.