Assessing How Agricultural Policy Can Be Changed to Help Farmers Succeed in Producing and Distributing Healthy Food to Children and Their Communities

This project will identify laws and policies affecting production and distribution of healthier foods to local communities’ schools, institutions, farmers’ markets, and grocery stores. It will analyze policies that currently discourage farmers from producing and distributing healthy foods, and identify policies that could encourage farmers to produce and distribute healthy foods in a community-based system, More

Survey of Eating Environments and Policies in Head Start

The aim of this study is to describe eating environments and policies in Head Start at the national level, examining their variation by program characteristics. In partnership with DHHS and USDA, this project will develop a survey to describe eating environments and policies in Head Start (including issues such as foods offered, use of nutrient-based More

Examining the Role of Street Vendors in the After School Eating Environment Among Elementary and Middle School Children in Low-Income Neighborhoods

The proposed study will increase knowledge about the role of street vendors in the after-school eating environment among elementary and middle school children in low-income neighborhoods. The overall aim is to examine whether mobile vendors are a feasible vehicle for the sales of fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy snacks, and to evaluate a community-based quasi-experimental More

Evaluating the Efficacy of a Healthy Corner Store Initiative in Reducing Childhood Obesity

This project will evaluate the efficacy of a community-based, environmental intervention in urban corner stores located near schools. By targeting multiple aspects of the corner store environment (e.g., social, educational, food availability), the goal of this intervention is to decrease the purchase of high calorie snacks and beverages and increase the percentage of healthy snacks More

Determining How Small Changes in the Way Snacks and Meals are Presented Influence Their Intake Among 3-5 year Olds

This project uses a series of field experiments in daycare centers to determine how small changes in the way snacks and meals are presented to children, such as pairing foods with attractive names, icons and/or cartoon characters, will change their intake. The study will examine how salience (awareness) and expectations influence the food choices and More

Reducing the Risk of Obesity for African-American Youth by Developing a Program to Improve the Food Environment in Baltimore

This project will evaluate an innovative intervention to change the food environment to reduce obesity risk among low-income urban African American children. Specifically, it will (a) develop, implement and evaluate a program that creates healthy eating zones around selected city schools that will increase the availability of healthy food options and promote them at the More