Objective:

To evaluate an educational intervention in school children and dispenser handlers to increase knowledge and healthy nutritional habits as well as in regulations with the purpose of improving food availability.

Materials and Methods:

Analytical and longitudinal case study. A participatory educational intervention was carried out in a primary school in the city of Zacatecas, Mexico. Two study groups were intervened: school children and dispenser handlers from the different school cafeterias from January to July 2018. Self-made surveys were used for the diagnosis and evaluation stages. Different 30-40-minute study-workshops were developed for the intervention of both groups. Based on the Student and Wilcoxon t tests, the significant differences were determined with α = 5%.

Results:

The intervention was positive in the school children as their knowledge and consumption of fresh food increased both at breakfast and lunch. On the other hand, the results among the dispenser handlers did not immediately led to better food availability within the school but until the authorities of the institution conditioned the offer of products in the cafeterias.

Conclusions:

Through health education and the sum of efforts between the actors involved in the educational intervention, it was possible to contribute to the creation of a healthy school nutritional environment. It is necessary to monitor these actions and enforce the regulations to reinforce the processes of change towards better food practices among school children and dispenser handlers.

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