Abstract
Objective: This study was conducted to examine what factors were behind their lunchtime instructions for home room teachers (hereafter called as teachers), and to identify the characteristics of teachers consulting with nutrition teachers and school dietitians.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a self-completed questionnaire was sent to 569 teachers at 32 municipal elementary schools through the school board of one city (Saitama prefecture) in July, 2014. The questionnaire items dealt with factors behind the lunchtime, approaches by teachers at lunchtime, time spent eating school lunch, food wasted in a class, and demographic characteristics.
Results: Data from 456 teachers (143 men, 31.4%) were analyzed. The mean years (standard deviation) of experience of teaching was 13.5 (12.5) years. The greatest factors behind lunchtime instructions were “education teachers received at home” (272 teachers, 59.6%), “education teachers received at school” (208 teachers, 45.6%), and “consultations with nutrition teachers and school dietitians” (172 teachers, 37.7%). Furthermore, women were the majority of those who consulted nutrition teachers and school dietitians. Other characteristics of participants who selected this factor were the following: they had experience in allocating duties related to school lunch, worked at the school making lunch in their schools, and were actively involved in instructing students during lunch.
Conclusion: Many teachers conducted lunchtime instructions referring their experiences at school and home. About 40% of the teachers were consulting with nutrition teachers and school dietitians and had various opportunities to be involved with nutrition teachers and school dietitians.
