Impact evaluation of food supply regulation in canteens on chronic noncommunicable diseases deaths of children and adolescents

Abstract

The study evaluated the impact of state laws regulating food offered in school canteens on the incidence of Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) deaths in the population aged 5 to 14 years. For this, the Callaway and Sant’Anna (2021) methodology was used, with information from Brazilian States, in the period from 2002 to 2018. This methodology allows dealing with heterogeneous effects of treatment, since States implemented legislation in years distinct. The results indicated that the policy contributed to reducing one death for every 100,000 children aged 5 to 14. The prevalence of deaths was higher among boys and the impact observed in this group was 3 fewer deaths. Among the NCDs diseases, neoplasms have the highest prevalence of deaths. Next, the group with the highest prevalence was cardiovascular diseases and the policy estimated impact was 1.7 fewer deaths for boys, which represents the greatest impact for this group. For girls, the greatest impact was 0.8 fewer deaths from diabetes, and this is the only type of NCD in which the average death rate was higher for girls compared to boys.