Reproducing or Reducing Inequity? Considerations for School Food Programs

It is important to consider health inequities when exploring the extent to which school food programs may contribute to the stigmatization and social exclusion of families experiencing food insecurity. As part of a broader school-based project, this paper considers evidence derived from a secondary analysis of research in Nova Scotia (NS). In the original research, interviews were conducted with key stakeholders involved in supporting health promotion activities across NS elementary schools. For this article, data were re-examined using tenets of critical discourse analysis to evaluate if school practices were addressing the root social issues by identifying patterns in language and institutional norms. Our findings suggested that further illumination of programs may be needed to ensure that they do not contribute to the stigmatization and social exclusion of families experiencing food insecurity. Nutrition professionals are in a position to engage families experiencing food insecurity in policy action that will shift from a focus on individual determinants towards the social-structural conditions that underlie the complex issue of food insecurity.