Abstract
Objective: To examine leftover-related behaviors of junior high school students who were instructed to eat everything served to them at home and to explore associations between this instruction and confidence about eating unpalatable food in school meals, and positive feelings after finishing a meal.
Methods: We distributed a self-report questionnaire about food waste to a cross-sectional sample of 4,634 eighth-grade students in 33 public junior high schools in Tokyo, Japan, in December 2009. We used chi-square tests and Bonferroni's multiple comparisons to examine associations between rules at home and confidence about eating unpalatable food in school meals and positive feelings after finishing a meal. We also used chi-square tests to examine associations between positive feelings after finishing a meal and confidence about eating unpalatable foods in school meals.
Results: In total, 4,578 students answered the questionnaire (response rate: 98.5%). Compared with students who were not given instructions, those who were instructed to eat everything at home: 1) left less food during their daily meals (p = 0.002), 2) were more confident about eating unpalatable food in school meals (p = 0.016), and 3) had more positive feelings after finishing a meal (p < 0.001). Students with positive feelings after finishing a meal were more confident about eating unpalatable food in school meals (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Junior high school students instructed not to leave leftovers at home left less food at their daily meals, were more confident about eating unpalatable food in school meals, and had more positive feelings about finishing a meal.
