Abstract
Objective: To examine the factors contributing to food waste during lunchtime in elementary schools.
Methods: A self-report questionnaire including items on food waste during lunchtime was administered in May and June 2009 to 112 fifth- and sixth-grade students at an elementary school in Tokyo. Children completed the questionnaire after lunchtime on two days. To examine the factors contributing to food waste during lunchtime at schools, a logistic regression analysis was performed with not eating lunch as the dependent variable and feeling hungry before lunch, feeling of fullness after lunch, taste for the menu, time for eating, chopsticks or cutlery, sex and body mass index (BMI) as the independent variables. We conducted the survey on each child twice; thus, we analyzed data for 224 children using the generalized estimating equation (GEE).
Results: The questionnaire was completed by 222 children (response rate: 99%). By multivariate logistic regression analysis, the predictors of not eating lunch were identified as time for eating [odds ratio (OR): 45.31, 95% confidence interval (CI): 13.46~152.53], taste for the menu [OR: 2.71, 95% CI: 1.04~7.09], and BMI [OR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.65~0.99].
Conclusion: The results suggest that the factors contributing to food waste during lunchtime at schools are time for eating, taste for the menu, and BMI. Based on these results, nutrition education for children to reduce food waste should be provided, and measures adopted by the entire school against food waste should be considered.
