The Department of Nutrition and Food Safety is happy to announce the issuing of Nutrition action in schools: a review of evidence related to the nutrition-friendly schools initiative. This review summarizes the synthesized evidence from 117 reviews identified as relating to the following five components and the 26 essential criteria of the NFSI.
- school nutrition policies,
- awareness and capacity building of the school community,
- nutrition and health promoting curricula,
- supportive school environment for good nutrition, and
- supportive school nutrition and health services.
The findings may be used ‒ in conjunction with existing UN and WHO guidance and tools ‒ to inform the work of governments, policy-makers and researchers concerned with school-based health and nutrition promotion programmes and initiatives.
The NFSI was developed in 2006 to provide a framework for ensuring integrated school-based programmes which address the double burden of nutrition-related ill health and to serve as the updated nutrition module of the Health Promoting Schools. The NFSI has since been used around the world, including as a self-appraisal tool for schools in 18 countries, in developing national NFSI programmes and as part of academic research and evaluation projects.
