Age Group: Adolescents (grades 9 to 12)

Development and Validation of a Photo‐Evidence Tool to Examine Characteristics of Effective Drinking Water Access in Schools

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Federal law requires water access in schools where meals are served. Schools report high rates of water accessibility in cafeterias, but observations indicate lower adherence. Although observation is costly, it permits a more detailed assessment of a water source to determine whether it provides effective access that encourages water consumption and thus, healthy hydration for More

The Food Environment in Juvenile Justice Residential Facilities in North Carolina

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This research brief summarizes findings from an exploratory study of a diverse sample of juvenile justice residential facilities in North Carolina conducted by RTI International. The study examined food service operations, agency and facility level policies and practices pertaining to nutrition, participation in federal school nutrition programs, and additional food service funding sources. The overall More

Leveraging Juvenile Justice Food Environments to Advance Health Equity

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Researchers and advocates have drawn attention to the public health consequences of mass incarceration and its contribution to racial health disparities in the United States. The conditions within juvenile justice facilities may influence long-term health outcomes for African-American, Latino, and Native American populations, who are more likely than white youth to be placed in these More

Use of Electronic Health Record Data to Study the Association of Sugary Drink Consumption With Child Weight Status

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Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and, to some extent, fruit juice are modifiable risk factors for childhood obesity. Data on consumption have not been previously systematically collected in the electronic health record (EHR) in a way that could facilitate observational research and population health management. In 2017 to 2018, we used data from an EHR-based SSB and More

Farm-to-School Education Grants Reach Low-Income Children and Encourage Them to Learn About Fruits and Vegetables

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For children from low-income families, school meals are a significant portion of daily caloric intake and hence an opportunity to address food insecurity. Many states have pursued legislation to institutionalize programs such as farm to school that aim to improve the quality of school meals and acceptance of healthy foods (fruits and vegetables) to address More

Training High School Student “Citizen Scientists” to Document School Water Access: A Feasibility Study

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Youth water consumption is inadequate. Increasing adolescent water consumption could support decreased dental caries and body mass index (BMI). Most schools are required to provide free, potable water. However, there is evidence that schools’ self-reported compliance data overestimate access to water in schools. We tested the feasibility of using student citizen scientists to collect high More

The Academic, Behavioral, and Health Influence of Summer Child Nutrition Programs: A Narrative Review and Proposed Research and Policy Agenda

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Since 1975, the US Department of Agriculture has sponsored the Summer Food Service Program as a nationwide strategy for providing nutritious meals to children and youth (aged 18 years or younger) in low-income communities during the summer months. Many programs are sponsored by community organizations as well as school districts that may offer the program More

Examining differences in the implementation of school water-quality practices and water-access policies by school demographic characteristics

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Ensuring safe, accessible drinking water in schools is a national health priority. The objective of this study was to identify whether there are differences in water quality, availability, and education- related practices in schools by demographic characteristics. In 2017–2018, we analyzed data from the 2014 School Health Policies and Practices Study (SHPPS), a nationally representative, More

How Much Can Product Reformulation Improve Diet Quality in Households with Children and Adolescents?

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Improvements in the healthfulness of packaged foods and beverages through reformulation could help reduce the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents through improved diet quality. This study assessed changes in calories and four nutrients (saturated fat, total sugars, sodium, and dietary fiber) from 2012 through 2014 for packaged products frequently consumed by children and More

State Policies on Testing Drinking Water for Lead in U.S. Schools

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This Brief summarizes select characteristics of state-level policies and programs to test for lead in school drinking water. It is based on a study from researchers at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and the University of California Nutrition Policy Institute. The full results of the study, study methods, and state profiles More