Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39165036›Full record

ReviewHealth promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals2025

Comparative analysis of school food policies in Australian jurisdictions: Insights for more effective policy action.

Nicodemus Masila, Kylie J Smith, Suzanne Waddingham, Kim Jose

Abstract readReviewComparative Study
In one paragraph

Review in Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Comparative analysis of school food policies in Australian jurisdictions: Insights for more effective policy action.Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals · 2025
    Review
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

4 authors.

Nicodemus MasilaMenzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2260-6797
Kylie J SmithMenzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
Suzanne WaddinghamSchool of Medicine, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
Kim JoseMenzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9346-6429

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

issue addressedSchool food policies in Australia have the potential to positively impact healthy eating in schools. While the policies are reviewed regularly, it is unknown if revised school food policies have incorporated the recommendations from a 2020 review of nutrition policies in publicly funded institutions. This review aims to examine the current state of Australian school food policy environment, including national-level guidelines, food safety, allergy, and anaphylaxis management policies.

methodsSchool food policy documents were identified by searching the federal government, and Departments of Health and Education websites of Australian jurisdictions. The L'Abbé framework for monitoring and evaluation of nutrition policies guided the data analysis.

resultsEleven policies/guidelines from Australian national and state/territory governments were reviewed in 2023. Four state/territory policies had major updates since 2020. The consistency of nutrition standards improved across five jurisdictions, although a common nutrient classification system would have allowed better comparison. Implementation guides/tools and supporting resources were provided in all policies although their comprehensiveness varied. Policy monitoring and evaluation guide/tools, and local food procurement were incorporated in two additional policies. School principals were responsible for policy implementation and schools for independent compliance monitoring.

conclusionContinued improvement in monitoring and evaluation plans, policy review timelines, and support systems for schools is needed to enhance implementation and impact of school food policies. External stakeholder support may help school leadership in more effective policy implementation. SO WHAT?: Limited progress in incorporating recommendations into current school food policies calls for additional support and strategies to enhance policy implementation and monitoring.

Indexed as

Food ServicesNutrition PolicySchoolsAustraliaChildFood SafetyHumansAustralialocal food procurementnutrient criterianutrition standardsschoolschool canteenschool food policy

Identifiers

PMID39165036
PMCPMC11730602

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.