Page 72 - ON THE WAY TO HEALTHIER SCHOOL CANTEENS - Irma Evenhuis
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Chapter 4. Development of the Canteen Scan
In the future, the Canteen Scan could be combined with measurements of the broader environment, e.g. in a daily life environment (such as home, neighbourhood or shops passed on the way home). In addition, investigating the relation between the objective consumer environment (measured with the Canteen Scan) and individual purchase and eating behaviour, health outcomes and perceptions of the environment (e.g. how important price is for the consumer) might increase knowledge on the food environment and the relation with individual behaviour and health [148, 181].
Conclusion
The Canteen Scan was developed in collaboration with experts, end-users and researchers, thereby balancing scientific and practical considerations. The tool will provide stakeholders insight into the level of compliance with the Dutch Guidelines for Healthier Canteens and will offer instant tailored feedback to support adjustments towards healthier canteens. As well, pending confirmation of the reliability and validity of the tool, the tool may be useful for canteen managers to monitor improvements in the healthiness of their canteen or for monitoring implementation of the guidelines on a national level. Pilot tests showed this tool to be comprehensive, user-friendly and feasible in daily practice. Further research is needed to elucidate to what extent the tool actually supports schools and caterers to create and sustain healthy canteens.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank all the participants who were willing to discuss or fill out draft versions of the Canteen Scan, which led to important insights and improvements of the Canteen Scan. In addition, we thank the web developers for creating the online Canteen Scan according to all wishes and specifications.
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