Children’s and adolescents’ consumption of sports drinks is increasing. Given the already elevated levels of added sugar in the American diet and its detrimental impact on health, the increased consumption of sports drinks among youths in recent years is of growing concern for parents, health professionals, and public health advocates. This research review examines the More
This study examined 151 written district school wellness policies in Connecticut and found that significant improvement in school-level implementation of policies was reported after written policies were adopted. Stronger and more comprehensive written policies predicted significantly greater implementation of practices and policies at the school level. Some sociodemographic characteristics predicted the strength of wellness policies. More
This paper estimates the effects of junk food availability on body mass index (BMI), obesity, and related outcomes among a national sample of fifth graders. The researchers found that junk food availability does not significantly increase BMI or obesity among this fifth-grade cohort despite the increased likelihood of in-school junk food purchases. Estimates suggest that More
This paper discusses the development and psychometric properties (range, internal consistency, inter-rater reliability, and construct validity) of an instrument–the Wellness Child Care Assessment Tool–to quantitatively evaluate the comprehensiveness and strength of written nutrition and physical activity policies at preschools and child-care centers. To evaluate the instrument, psychometric analyses were conducted on 94 independent policies from More
The preschool years are a critically important period for developing healthy food preferences and motor skills. Since the majority of U.S. children are placed in some form of non-parental care during their preschool years, these settings provide opportunities to promote healthy eating and physical activity behaviors among preschool children. Given the widespread use of child More
This paper discusses the development and validity of a self-administered survey to assess the nutrition and physical activity environment of child-care centers. The survey assesses four areas related to nutrition and physical activity: center policies, practices related to the social environment, physical environment and nutrition quality. To evaluate criterion validity of the survey, researchers compared More
The impact of family food purchasing on child obesity is understudied, and little is known about the roles that consumer shopping behavior and local prices for goods with different nutritional content play in determining obesity prevalence. This project will use unique, nationally-representative scanned UPC data collected by Nielsen over a 12-year period on consumer grocery More
This article summarizes the scientific literature on state regulations, practices and policies, and interventions for promoting healthy eating and physical activity, and for preventing obesity in preschool-aged children attending child care. Findings of the review indicate that most states lack strong healthy eating and physical activity regulations for child-care settings. Assessments of child-care settings suggest More
This project will provide new data about the potential for local governments to take meaningful action to prevent childhood obesity through policy implementation in child-care settings. Because local laws often serve as drivers of state law, this research will help inform childhood obesity prevention policy both at state and local levels around the nation. This More
This study will examine the potential effects of regulating the sale of competitive foods and beverages in schools, a lever which policy-makers may use to positively influence children’s consumption behaviors to reduce the prevalence of obesity among children. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 provides the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) with increased capacity More
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