Assessment of school nutrition environments in Uzbekistan
The findings generate an important evidence base for further strengthening national policies and programmes aimed at improving nutrition among children
Highlights
Nutrition of school-age children and adolescents is increasingly recognised as a critical determinant of human capital development and the prevention of noncommunicable diseases. International experience demonstrates that schools serve as an important platform for shaping healthy dietary behaviours, improving the quality of children’s diets, and supporting educational outcomes.
In Uzbekistan, significant changes in the food environment and dietary patterns have taken place in recent years. The growing consumption of ultra-processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and high-calorie snacks among adolescents may increase the risk of overweight, obesity, and other health conditions later in life.
To strengthen the evidence base necessary for developing and improving policies on child and adolescent nutrition, UNICEF, in collaboration with national and international partners, supported the implementation of two complementary studies: an assessment of the school nutrition environment and a national adolescent nutrition survey.
These studies provide, for the first time, a comprehensive picture of: the food environment in schools; adolescents’ dietary behaviours; the availability of healthy foods; factors influencing food choices. The findings generate an important evidence base for further strengthening national policies and programmes aimed at improving nutrition among children and adolescents.
