A study into how food and eating habits can help to shape children's social skills is being carried out by the University of Leicester.
Researchers will examine the social and behavioural aspects of dining in children aged three-to 16-years-old and the effect it has on their school attendance and attitudes to learning.
The three- and-a half year study will observe the social life of the school, how children and young people interact when they are eating and what skills they pick up in doing so, through interviews, surveys and questionnaires.
Children from the Samworth Enterprise Academy, an all-through school, which serves an area of social deprivation and high unemployment in Leicester, are taking part in the study.
Nick Lalli, who is conducting the research, said, ‘Food has a huge role to play in personal and social development, including such aspects as promoting personal hygiene,’ he said. ‘The skills pupils pick up in school will impact on their relationships, their interactions within the community and will have a motivating effect on their lives generally.’
Pat Dubas, the principal of Samworth Enterprise Academy, said, ‘Many of our pupils grow up not knowing how to use a knife and fork and when you start to look into it, you realise that some families are struggling to feed their children at all.
‘This also raises obvious concerns about health and levels of obesity, which are evident in some sections of the community and can become self-perpetuating if not tackled with messages about healthy eating.
‘We’re delighted to be involved with the University of Leicester, who will look into the whole impact of food on our pupils’ life-styles and over the course of the research we hope they will really being able to get under the skin of some of these problems.’
The three- and-a half year study will observe the social life of the school, how children and young people interact when they are eating and what skills they pick up in doing so, through interviews, surveys and questionnaires.
Children from the Samworth Enterprise Academy, an all-through school, which serves an area of social deprivation and high unemployment in Leicester, are taking part in the study.
Nick Lalli, who is conducting the research, said, ‘Food has a huge role to play in personal and social development, including such aspects as promoting personal hygiene,’ he said. ‘The skills pupils pick up in school will impact on their relationships, their interactions within the community and will have a motivating effect on their lives generally.’
Pat Dubas, the principal of Samworth Enterprise Academy, said, ‘Many of our pupils grow up not knowing how to use a knife and fork and when you start to look into it, you realise that some families are struggling to feed their children at all.
‘This also raises obvious concerns about health and levels of obesity, which are evident in some sections of the community and can become self-perpetuating if not tackled with messages about healthy eating.
‘We’re delighted to be involved with the University of Leicester, who will look into the whole impact of food on our pupils’ life-styles and over the course of the research we hope they will really being able to get under the skin of some of these problems.’