This study aimed to examine the impact of federal- and state-level Universal Free School Meal (UFSM) policies and related policies on National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) participation rates during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This comparative effectiveness research study used a natural experiment created by the COVID-19 pandemic to analyze More
School meals play an important role in supporting children’s nutrition. Despite substantial improvements in the nutritional quality of school meals following the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, concerns remain regarding the level of processing of the foods served in schools. This may be due to growing evidence of potential adverse outcomes associated with ultra-processed foods, More
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) eligibility expansion intends to offer benefits to more students, yet leaders of eligible districts may choose not to apply for CEP to avoid related fiscal challenges, such as covering the cost of meals and potential loss of state aid. This project is the first to examine characteristics of the eligible More
Universal free school meals (UFSMs) can reduce disparities in food and nutrition security by addressing barriers to accessing nutritious food. Eight states have passed permanent UFSMs policies and others are underway; however, existing research mainly considers the effects of UFSMs without examining their implementation. This study aims to: 1) Describe how UFSMs have been implemented More
The aim of this project is to update and synchronize two measures: the Wellness School Assessment Tool (WellSAT), which is a quantitative measure of written district wellness policies, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s School Health Index (SHI), which is a self-report measure of school-based practices. The WellSAT and SHI are the leading More
Although interventions to change nutrition policies, systems, and environments (PSE) for children are generally cost effective for preventing childhood obesity, existing evidence suggests that nutrition education curricula, without accompanying PSE changes, are more commonly implemented. This study aimed to estimate the societal costs and potential for cost-effectiveness of 3 nutrition education curricula frequently implemented in More
This study aimed to evaluate parent perceptions of the influence of Massachusetts’ statewide UFSM policy on households eligible and ineligible for FRPM, using a cross-sectional survey of parents across income categories conducted during the 2022-2023 school year. Participants were Massachusetts parents (N = 403) with children in grades kindergarten through grade 12 with incomes ranging More
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, USDA waivers allowed all children in schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) to receive school meals at no charge from March 2020 through June 2022. In 2022, Massachusetts implemented a Healthy School Meals for All (HSMFA) policy to continue to provide meals at no charge to all More
Summer EBT and non-congregate meals are summer meal options that have known associations with reducing food hardship and barriers to food access. But take-up can vary across states, which creates disparities among marginalized populations. The study aims to analyze the coverage, take-up, and implementation decisions made around Summer EBT and non-congregate meals. The research team More
Growing evidence suggests free school meal policies improve student health outcomes and nutrition equity. A key barrier to passage of these policies is concerns regarding potential costs, thus, a broader value for money evaluation is essential to inform policy decisions. This study aims to compare ‘intervention’ states with free school meal policies (i.e., universal free More
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