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April 26, 2026Can J Public HealthOpen Access

The potential of a national school food program to reduce dietary inequalities among children in Canada

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Authors

PVPaul J. VeugelersNGNicholas GrubicUniversity of TorontoJDJulia DabravolskajSt. Michael's Hospital

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Implication

Randomized trial examines dietary intake disparities in children, indicating SFPs may improve nutrition access.

Key Points

  • The study aims to assess the impact of Canada’s national school food program on dietary intake and inequalities among elementary school students.
  • Analyzed data from 1442 grade 4–6 students (9–12 years) across 26 underserved schools.
  • Evaluated food and beverage consumption over 24 hours, categorizing sources as SFP, home, or other.
  • Calculated inequalities in dietary intake and quality using Gini coefficients.
  • Students accessing SFPs (n=181) consumed more vegetables, fruits, and better quality diets compared to non-accessing peers (n=1261).
  • Lower inequalities in vegetable and fruit consumption (Gini difference = 0.072, 95% CI 0.026–0.116) were observed in SFP participants.
  • Similar reductions in inequalities for free sugars (0.055, 95% CI 0.004–0.090) and diet quality (0.019, 95% CI 0.007–0.029).

Cite This Study

Veugelers et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69edac2e4a46254e215b3fe7https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-026-01201-1
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Examining school-day dietary intakes among Canadian children2017 · 65 citations
  2. 2Psychometric Validation of the Revised Family Affluence Scale: a Latent Variable Approach2015 · 493 citations
  3. 3The Impact of Canadian School Food Programs on Children’s Nutrition and Health: A Systematic Review2018 · 65 citations
  4. 4Nutritional quality of the food choices of Canadian children2021 · 41 citations
  5. 5Universal school lunch programme closes a socioeconomic gap in fruit and vegetable intakes among school children in Japan2018 · 28 citations