Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior | 2021
P43 Conceptual Model to Assess the Resilience Capacity of School Meal Programs: A Systematic Review and Thematic Analysis
Abstract
Background Unprecedented school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic brought into question the resilience capacity of school meal programs. Resilience capacity is defined as the capacity to endure shocks and stressors including absorptive capacity (persistence), adaptive capacity (incremental adjustment), and transformative capacity (change). Resilience Capacity Model assesses the resilience capacity of a system based on the actors and corresponding components of that system. Resilience capacity has been explored in school nutrition setting but a Resiliency Capacity Model addressing school meal provision is lacking. Objective Qualitative exploration of a Resilience Capacity Model to assess the resilience capacity of school meal programs. Study Design, Settings, Participants Assisted by PRISMA, a systematic evaluation of peer-reviewed full-text articles published between 2005-2020 was performed. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Qualitative and quantitative studies explored the effect of school meal programs or in-school interventions on child food security that accounts for resilience capacity of school meal programs. Thematic analysis was used to identify factors associated with strategies for building resilience capacity. Results Of 406 articles identified via online search, 32 full-text articles met inclusion criteria. Based on the systematic review and thematic analysis, it was found that strategies to build resilience include food availability, food accessibility, food quality, education, training, parent/teacher support, and administrative response. The Resilience Capacity Model to assess resilience capacity of school meal programs fits well in the context of school nutrition. This model can be used to assess whether the strategies adopted during unprecedented circumstances lead to a resilience or a vulnerability pathway. Conclusion The findings of the systematic review of literature support that Resilience Capacity Model that accounts for identified factors can be used to assess the resilience capacity of school meal programs. A systematic assessment of resilience capacity can help to improve school meal program operations in times of crisis or during/after disasters.