Modelamiento grupal participativo con actores clave para mejorar los entornos escolares nutricionales e inocuidad alimentaria en la comunidad rural de La Asunción-Azuay

Abstract

Latin American countries face variations in their food systems with widespread access to ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which are linked to rising childhood obesity rates, as well as a lack of access to nutrient-rich foods, leading to nutrient deficiencies in children. However, the lack of food safety poses a problem for achieving nutrition goals, as 40% of children contract foodborne illnesses (FBIs). School environments are important spaces for promoting nutritious and safe health systems that ensure good health in children and adolescents. The following project analyzes the factors that influence healthy and safe school environments in the rural community of Asunción-Azuay through participatory group modeling with key actors and the development of a causal model that represents the factors of unhealthy and unsafe school environments from the perspective of the actors involved. In this way, opportunities were identified to generate sustainable interventions focused on improving school nutrition and food safety. It was important to estimate the consumption of UPF, the availability of safe and nutritious foods, and the potential risks of contamination in the rural study area. The results showed that UPF consumption in school settings coexists with a limited and irregular supply of fresh and nutritionally adequate food. Despite the availability of fresh food, there is a lack of knowledge about proper food handling and storage practices in school cafeterias and local stores. Through the GMB with key stakeholders, structural, economic, and organizational constraints were identified.