Introduction:

Schools are the most important settings for promoting healthy eating through their food environments.

Objective:

To characterize the physical, sociocultural, political, and economic aspects of food environments in four schools of different socio-economic levels from Cali, Colombia.

Materials and methods:

Qualitative study based on a focused ethnography approach. Information was collected through participant observation during 12 weeks in four schools (3 weeks per school), with a total of 1 409 children aged 8 to 12 enrolled in grades third through sixth. Institutional documents were analyzed, and in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 key informants (executive, administrative, and operational staff).

Results:

School food environments were characterized by the availability of ultra-processed foods at low prices, as opposed to a limited supply of fruits at high prices. In all schools, there was a lack of school health policies regarding healthy eating, and compliance with the provisions of Law 1355/2009 on the prevention of obesity was poor in three schools. The presence of healthy eating promotion policies and activities was associated with the importance of nutrition in the high socioeconomic level school.

Conclusions:

It is necessary to enforce the implementation of public policies on the prevention of childhood obesity, as well as monitor compliance of schools with the relevant legislation through actions that favor nutrition as a fundamental part of a comprehensive education, including the elimination of vending machines for snacks and sugary drinks, the establishment of a mandatory healthy menu in school cafeterias, and the reduction of prices of healthy foods.

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