Background/Objectives: The Ministry of Health and Education in Saudi Arabia established school canteen guidelines that have been mandatory since 2014. Only one previous study has investigated the compliance of public high schools with these guidelines. The aim of this study is to explore public primary school compliance with the school canteen policy guidelines set by the Saudi Ministry of Health and Education. Methods: A cross-sectional study with a total of 80 public primary schools randomly selected from five regions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was conducted. School canteens were explored using a school canteen checklist provided by the Ministry of Education. The checklist contains a list of items grouped into healthy and unhealthy foods. A final assessment for alignment with the checklist was classified as either poor, average, or good. Canteen staff were provided with a structured questionnaire on the day of the school visit to gather their opinions and feedback regarding the canteen. Results: A total of 70% of schools showed an average rating for alignment with the Ministry of Health and Education guidelines; however, most of the items available in canteens were unhealthy. The canteen staff recommended adding healthier options like milk, fruit, and vegetables to school canteens. Furthermore, canteen staff reported issues in regard to expensive foods and a lack of choice in healthy food options. Conclusions: This study has shown that public primary schools in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), have an average rating alignment with the Ministry of Health and Education’s school food policy guidelines. This study highlights the need for improvement in the Saudi Ministry of Education’s checklist, particularly regarding the availability of healthy foods, including milk, fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious items.

Background: Since 2014, the Saudi Ministry of Health and Education has developed and required the implementation of the “Regulations of Health Conditions for School Canteens.” The Saudi Ministry of Education states these school food guidelines provide educational institutions a list of foods that are permitted as well as those that are prohibited, which they must adhere to. The aim of this research is to explore the relationship of dental caries and weight status with adherence to school food policy in public primary schools in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among public primary school children in Riyadh, KSA. A total of 14 schools were randomly selected from five different regions and identified in a previous study that explored school adherence to the school canteen policy set by the Ministry of Education in Riyadh, KSA. Seven schools that had an average adherence to the school canteen policy and seven schools that did not adhere were included in this study. The severity and prevalence of dental caries, as well as the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children, were assessed according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Additionally, parents were asked to complete a structured questionnaire to evaluate their child’s oral health by using the WHO, Oral Health Questionnaire for Children. Results: This study found there is no evidence of an effect of adherence to school food policies on either the severity or prevalence of dental caries. Similarly, no evidence of an effect of adherence to school food policies on the prevalence of overweight and obesity among public primary schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with (IRR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.80, 1.17, p-value = 0.714), (OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.605, 1.69, p-value = 0.960 ), and ( OR = 0.80, 95% CI: -0.57, 1.13, p-value = 0.207), respectively. However, based on parents’ perception of their children’s eating habits, there was evidence that children who ate biscuits and cakes at least once a week showed 78.2% lower odds of being caries free compared to once a month or never (OR = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.04, 1.00, p = 0.050). Additionally, children who consumed sugar-filled beverages daily or at least once a weekly had lower odds of being non-overweight/obese compared to those who consumed them once a month or never (OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.40, 0.97, p = 0.037) (OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.40, 0.98, p = 0.042). Conclusions: There was no evidence of a difference between the level of adherence to Ministry of Education school canteen guidelines in public primary schools and dental caries experience or weight status of students. However, due to the level of school canteen compliance being either ‘poor’ or ‘average’, a clear conclusion cannot be reached.

Background: Families, including mothers and fathers, create a safe, stable environment if they work together in setting rules for their children. Research on parenting style among Saudi Arabian parents in Riyadh is lacking. Analyzing and assessing these factors will facilitate the formulation of evidence-based methods to enhance parenting practices, which is the main aim of this study. Methodology: This cross-sectional study conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, explored the parenting style of primary school parents using a validated and widely used questionnaire. Clinical examination for the prevalence of children’s dental caries was performed according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Additionally, parents were asked to complete a structured questionnaire to evaluate their child’s oral health by using the WHO’s Oral Health Questionnaire for Children. Results: In the present study, the survey was completed by 506 parents from 14 schools and the authoritative parenting style emerged as the most common among participants, with 88.7% for mothers and 81.4% for fathers. The findings indicated there was no evidence of an association between mothers’ and fathers’ authoritative parenting style with the prevalence of dental caries [OR = 1.021, 95% CI: 0.79, 1.31, p = 0.871], [OR = 0.940, 95% CI: 0.71, 1.22, p = 0.653], respectively. However, there was evidence of an association between mothers’ authoritative parenting style and higher fruit consumption [OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.028, 1.570, p = 0.027], meaning fruit consumption increased with higher authoritative style scores. Conclusions: The present study indicated that the authoritative parenting style was the most often reported among participants. This study found no evidence of an association between parenting style and the prevalence of dental caries or brushing frequency; however, a difference in fruit and vegetable consumption was seen, with increased intake linked to mothers’ authoritative parenting style.