When soda is a social justice issue: design and documentation of a participatory action research project with youth

Abstract

Schools are increasingly seen as having a promising role to play in reducing adverse health and wellness outcomes among young people. This paper uses a collaborative action research approach to examine the effects of one school’s efforts to change its students’ eating habits by implementing a ‘junk-food free campus.’ By engaging school administrators and students in a six-month process of joint research design and analysis, the author found that students understood but did not necessarily support the policy. Despite students’ uneven support of the policy, however, there was some evidence that some students were developing healthier eating habits. Moreover, student researchers reported developing greater perspective and respect for the policy as a result of studying it.

Keywords:

• school nutrition
• school wellness policies
• student voice
• youth participatory action research

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. The names of the school, faculty, and students have been changed.

2. However, in presenting their message of healthy eating and exercise, schools must also balance concern for students’ well-being with caution against setting unrealistic standards of ‘perfection’ or desirable body types, especially when it comes to the health and well-being of adolescent girls (Evans, Rich, and Holroyd 2004).

3. It is worth noting that of those students who reported their height and weight as part of the survey (thus enabling us to estimate approximate BMI), 16% were overweight and 27.7% were obese.