Lorraine Dimech Magrin and Anna Maria Gilson report on the various initiatives being taken at school level to promote healthier lifestyles among children, with a special focus on the role of home economics.

Childhood obesity is on the rise in Europe. Current national data demonstrates that excessive weight and obesity are major health challenges affecting Maltese schoolchildren.

In 2010, a study carried out by the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children research network presented a local average total overweight and obesity rate of 33.5 per cent for 11-year olds, 33 per cent for 13-year olds and 25.5 per cent for 15-year olds.

Statistics confirmed an increase in the rates of 11-year olds and in 13-year old boys, and a decrease in the rates for 13-year old girls and 15-year-olds, when compared to the same study carried out by HBSC in 2006. Current literature indicates that a child suffering from obesity has a greater chance of becoming an obese adult (OECD, 2014).

This scenario steered the launch of The Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Policy by the Ministry for Education and Employment last February. The policy focuses on a holistic national approach to promote healthier lifestyles and links with contemporary health documents including the Non-Communicable Disease Strategy (2010), the National Cancer Plan (2011), the National Healthy Weight for Life Strategy (2012), the Food and Nutrition Policy, the Action Plan for Malta (2014) and the NAO Reports on Achieving a Healthier Nutrition Environment in Schools (2011), as well as Physical Education and Sports (2010).

Home economics is a vehicle to promote healthy living

This policy follows from the Healthy Eating Lifestyle Plan (HELP) document (2007) which has stemmed substantial progress in cultivating a health-promoting environment in schools and encouraged the school community to give priority to a healthy eating lifestyle.

Additionally, the document endorsed guidelines on the consumption of food and beverages within the school premises.

This policy encourages Maltese children, together with their families and the community, to be physically active, eat healthily and live in environments that support healthy behaviours.

In order to ensure that school tuck shops are in line with this policy, tuck shop owners will be provided with a list of permissible and non-permissible foods and drinks that can be sold in the tuck shop. Personnel from MEDE will be carrying out unannounced spot checks in these tuck shops to ensure that all of them are in line with the policy. The ultimate aim is to reduce obesity and chronic diseases and enhance well-being.

Health education is a key and central component within the subject of home economics, providing practical and theoretical opportunities. This subject is a vehicle to promote healthy living through food and nutrition education, personal health and well-being and sustainable resource management.

Food preparation opportunities based on sound principles of diet and nutrition enable learners to reach their full potential as they engage in various hands-on activities that are age-appropriate and level specific. Practical work on nutritious food choices, portion/serving sizes and recipe engineering, among other themes, provide skills to develop responsible and sustainable lifestyle habits.

As from this scholastic year, home economics is offered to all Year 7 students in state middle schools as a compulsory subject.

The Home Economics Seminar Centre (HESC) within the Department for Curriculum Management, Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education has been established for the past 22 years with the mission to:

• improve the quality of everyday life of students, their families and the community through the efficient, effective and sustainable management of their resources;

• create and maintain supportive environments which promote healthy living;

• address the determinants of health in order to enable schoolchildren and other community members to enhance their health and well-being.

HESC staff believe that healthy nutrition interventions with particular focus on learning by doing need to target all the school years and should start as early as possible, in order to prevent or reverse the adverse health effects of overweight and poor eating habits.

HESC addresses a variety of issues related to health and well-being, through workshops, programmes and hands-on practical interventions which cater for the different community members, from the very young to senior citizens. Parental participation reinforces the connection of schools as an integral part of the whole family’s life.

Through constructivist pedagogy – based on action-oriented practices of collaborative learning, peer mentoring, group work and peer review – learners interact meaningfully with their peers, rather than solely with their teacher.

HESC considers this approach as conducive to the learners’ intellectual development, particularly through problem-solving, as it can positively influence health behaviours.

Constructivism helps learners acquire the right knowledge and understanding as well as skills and attitudes central to the endorsement of change. Ongoing promotion at HESC encourages and empowers participants to adopt and enhance sustainable lifestyle activities that are conducive to healthy lifestyles.

Off its premises, HESC, in liaison with the senior management of various schools, organises different events which include theoretical and practical interventions focusing on food and nutrition and general themes related to health and well-being with both pupils and their parents/legal guardians.

The main aim of hands-on measures is to help families acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes which would enable informed healthier food choices to plan and prepare wholesome food.

A review of literature in the area demonstrates that nutrition education is more effective when it focuses on behaviours and practices, uses theory and addresses multiple sources of influence.

Effective nutrition education is a long-term process which assists the progress of individuals and communities through various stages of change. The phases vary from awareness to active contemplation, to develop into various levels of motivational readiness to change. The practical activities support change and eventually target the maintenance of positive behavioural change.

HESC trails these processes within the different age groups as it targets pupils from the kindergarten up to secondary school level; and beyond. Moreover, parents and caregivers are also roped in due to their crucial role as stakeholders in adopting positive health behaviour modifications.

HESC strives to inform its practice by exploring wider pedagogical frameworks and new social marketing tools. Updated nutritional education research is constantly accessed, to generate new understanding in paving the way forward towards healthier generations.

On March 20 and 21, HESC participated in the International Federation of Home Economics Conference titled: ‘Action for family and consumer well-being – home economics literacy bringing skills to life’, which was held in Malta and has brought together delegates from nearly 30 countries.

Education for prevention is a prime goal of home economics educators and marks their potential role in improving the nation’s diet and health.

Lorraine Dimech Magrin is Education Officer for Home Economics and Anna Maria Gilson is Service Manager (Projects and Initiatives) within the Ministry for Education and Employment.

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