Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38030987›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2023

A qualitative study exploring the perceptions of children, parents and school staff towards the development and implementation of school lunch provision within primary schools in the Netherlands.

Frédérique C Rongen, S Coosje Dijkstra, Tobie H Hupkens, Monique H Vingerhoeds, Jacob C Seidell, Ellen van Kleef

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.0field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Global parent perspectives on school food service internationally: A mixed papers narrative review.Nutrition & dietetics : the journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia · 2026
    Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Frédérique C RongenFaculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, de Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
S Coosje DijkstraFaculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, de Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, Netherlands. s.c.dijkstra@amsterdamumc.nl.
Tobie H HupkensFood Health & Consumer Research, Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, P.O. Box 17, Wageningen, 6700AA, Netherlands.
Monique H VingerhoedsFood Health & Consumer Research, Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, P.O. Box 17, Wageningen, 6700AA, Netherlands.
Jacob C SeidellFaculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, de Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Ellen van KleefMarketing and Consumer Behaviour Group, Wageningen University, Hollandseweg 1, Wageningen, 6706 KN, Netherlands.
Wageningen University & Research · NLVrije Universiteit Amsterdam · NLAmsterdam Neuroscience · NL

Funding

Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality AF16098
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is no tradition of serving school lunches in primary schools in the Netherlands. Most children tend to bring their own packed lunch, however these are often nutritionally suboptimal. While school lunch provision can aid healthy eating behavior amongst children, its introduction would constitute a profound change for children, parents and school staff. Therefore, this qualitative study aims to explore children's, parents and school staffs' perceptions of both the current lunch situation and the implementation of school lunch provision within primary schools in the Netherlands.

methodsIn this qualitative study we conducted nine interviews with school principals, 98 interviews with children, and held six focus groups with teachers and six with parents at primary schools in two Dutch cities. The data was analysed via iterative coding.

resultsThe results showed that most children and parents are satisfied with the current lunch situation, although existing school food policies are not always put in place. Most teachers felt that children had insufficient time to consume their lunch in the current situation. The children were generally positive about the idea of a school lunch, and stressed that it was important to have the ability to choose. While both parents and school staff saw school lunch provision as an opportunity to educate families about healthy food options, they also expressed concern about who would be responsible, as well as the financial and organizational implications of its introduction.

conclusionsPerceptions of children, parents and school staff about a school provided lunch are mixed. A complex intervention such as a new school lunch program is difficult to envisage for all parties involved and more research is needed regarding the effects, organization, logistics and the costs of school lunch provision in the Netherlands.

Indexed as

Food ServicesLunchChildHumansNetherlandsParentsQualitative ResearchSchoolsHealthy eatingOrganized school lunchPrimary schoolSchool lunchSchool mealSchool-provided lunch

Identifiers

PMID38030987
PMCPMC10687776
OpenAlexW4389138251

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.