Methods: Data gathered by in-depth interview, focus group discussion, and observation from three primary schools. Key informants for interviewing were 75 participants including school directors, teachers, guardians and vendors. Three groups of 6th grade students participated in focus group discussion between April-July, 2012.
Results: The finding showed that marketing strategies were embedded directly in snack food products to attract children in many ways. Students classified snack foods and commercial products by marketing strategies of tasting, packaging, and collectable toys and tokens. Four categories of products from students’ opinions were: sweetened and salted crunchy snacks, sweetened candies, combined toy-snack foods, and tokens. The most popular products were inexpensive snack foods with cartoon cards and tokens. Young children were likely to consume snacks which combined collectable toys. Vendors nearby schools chose their commercial products which made the most profitable, keep easily and was convenient to travel. Time of the best selling was in the morning and after school. Vendors agreed with municipality bureau to arrange a proper selling area, but strongly disagreed with schools’ manipulation. School food policies have been conducted intensively as a result of health promoting school policies in primary schools. However, their effects were only found in schools’ canteens. The failure of attempts to control over vendors nearby schools was mentioned. Parents and caregivers informed the feeling of surrendered control of what children want to buy after school. The inevitability of unhealthy school surrounding and the influence of commercial advertising on television were mentioned.
Conclusions: This finding would assist to plan strategic movements to improve school food environment and children’s eating behaviours in primary schools.