IADR Abstract Archives
Trends in Sweet Selling in Finnish Schools Since 2007
Objectives: The aim was to study if the decreasing trend in selling of sweet products after the national recommendation in 2007 had continued from 2010 to 2016 in Finnish upper level comprehensive schools. The recommendation was given by the Finnish National Board of Education and the National Institute for Health and Welfare after the baseline survey in 2007.
Methods: All upper level Finnish comprehensive schools (pupils aged 13—15 years) were e-mailed a questionnaire addressed to the principal or other representative in 2007 (N=985), 2008 (N=988), 2010 (N=970) and 2016 (N=903). The questions were similar in all years, except the question on healthy items was slightly modified in 2008 and a response category added in 2010. Percentages of schools selling something sweet, candies, soft drinks or healthy items were calculated.
Results: Of the schools responses were obtained from 480 in 2007, 508 in 2008, 478 in 2010 and 390 in 2016 resulting in response rates of 49%, 51%, 49% and 43%, respectively. The geographical distribution of the responding schools was almost identical to the geographical distribution of all the schools in Finland. Percentages of schools selling something sweet were 56% in 2007, 46% in 2008, 38% in 2010 and 39% in 2016. The corresponding percentages were for selling candies 34%, 24%, 20 % and 13%; soft drinks 34%, 25%, 17% and 11%; and healthy items 43%, 49%, 68% and 72%, respectively.
Conclusions: The decreasing trend in selling candies and soft drinks had continued between 2010 and 2016. However, in selling something sweet the decreasing trend had levelled off since 2010 probably due to the fact that selling has been introduced in some school canteen since. Selling of healthy items continued increasing, possibly for same reason. National recommendation seems to have long lasting effects on sweet selling in Finnish schools.
Methods: All upper level Finnish comprehensive schools (pupils aged 13—15 years) were e-mailed a questionnaire addressed to the principal or other representative in 2007 (N=985), 2008 (N=988), 2010 (N=970) and 2016 (N=903). The questions were similar in all years, except the question on healthy items was slightly modified in 2008 and a response category added in 2010. Percentages of schools selling something sweet, candies, soft drinks or healthy items were calculated.
Results: Of the schools responses were obtained from 480 in 2007, 508 in 2008, 478 in 2010 and 390 in 2016 resulting in response rates of 49%, 51%, 49% and 43%, respectively. The geographical distribution of the responding schools was almost identical to the geographical distribution of all the schools in Finland. Percentages of schools selling something sweet were 56% in 2007, 46% in 2008, 38% in 2010 and 39% in 2016. The corresponding percentages were for selling candies 34%, 24%, 20 % and 13%; soft drinks 34%, 25%, 17% and 11%; and healthy items 43%, 49%, 68% and 72%, respectively.
Conclusions: The decreasing trend in selling candies and soft drinks had continued between 2010 and 2016. However, in selling something sweet the decreasing trend had levelled off since 2010 probably due to the fact that selling has been introduced in some school canteen since. Selling of healthy items continued increasing, possibly for same reason. National recommendation seems to have long lasting effects on sweet selling in Finnish schools.