The “Feed Them Well” project, part of Work Package 6 (WP6) of MetaHealth, has been completed. The project investigated which factors influence children’s eating habits and approaches to nutrition in elementary schools and child care settings. The focus was not only on nutrition, but also on the social and physical environments in which children eat, learn, and grow up.
For the study, observations were conducted during mealtimes at elementary schools, and perspectives were gathered from children, parents, education professionals, and experts in fields such as education, child care, policy, and health promotion. In addition, the study examined which characteristics of nutrition education contribute to effective integration into daily practice. The involved researchers: Vera van Stokkom and Janine Sikkens.
The results show that healthy eating behaviors are linked to a wide range of factors, including nutrition policy, parental involvement, social interactions during mealtimes, practical feasibility, and children’s broader living environment. It also emerged that nutrition education aligns better with practice when activities are engaging, feasible, and structurally embedded in children’s daily environment.
In addition, based on the COM-B model, conceptual screeners have been developed to better identify the characteristics of professionals and the context in which they work. In follow-up research, these screeners can contribute to more appropriate support and interventions aimed at creating a healthy food environment for children.
With the insights gained, Voed ze Goed contributes to knowledge development within MetaHealth WP6. The project demonstrates which factors are important for making nutrition education not only substantively strong but also practically feasible. At the same time, the results underscore the importance of a broader context- and system-oriented approach to health behavior, in which personal, social, and environmental factors converge. The theme of equity also emerges prominently, as healthy choices are partly influenced by the circumstances in which children and families live.
The project was made possible by the Center of Expertise for Prevention in Health Care and Welfare at Inholland University of Applied Sciences. The results have been shared within academic and practice-oriented networks (including the annual conference of the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA)) and form the basis for follow-up research.
