Keyword: School wellness policies

Digital Food and Beverage Marketing Environments in a National Sample of Middle Schools: Implications for Policy and Practice

By

One promising approach to influence nutrition behavior is to limit food and beverage marketing to children. Children are a lucrative market and schools may be an effective setting in which to intervene. Studies have shown that marketing in schools is prevalent but little is known about digital marketing to students in the school setting. Researchers More

Conducting a Large-Scale Surveillance of Public School Environments to Advance Wellness-Related Practices, With a Focus on Rural Schools

By

Rural disparities in health behaviors and weight status jeopardize the well-being of millions of Americans. Compared to urban children, rural children have higher rates of obesity and consume more calories, less fruit, and fewer vegetables. A health-promoting school environment can modify risk behaviors, and periodic assessment of school environments provides crucial information about opportunities for More

Insights and Best Practices in the Inclusion of Healthy Eating, Physical Activity, and Wellness Provisions in State ESSA Plans and Implementation Efforts

By

The objectives of the project are: 1) conduct a 50-state (plus D.C.) analysis of state Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plans to identify nutrition, activity, and wellness-related provisions; 2) compare the results from the ESSA plan analysis to state nutrition, activity, and wellness-related laws to determine which states are collectively prioritizing these issues in policy More

Investigating How to Align Schools’ Marketing Environments With Federal Standards for Competitive Foods

By

The goal of this study was to determine how to improve school marketing environments so that they align with new federal competitive food standards. The research team assessed the food marketing environments in three schools in Portland, Maine, using the food and beverage marketing in schools (FMBS) survey, and provided schools with technical assistance to More

Testing Drinking Water in California Public Schools for Lead and Other Contaminants in the Context of an Obesity-Prevention Strategy

By

Drinking water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages is an important obesity prevention strategy. Although schools have taken great strides to improve drinking water access, the water crisis in Flint, Mich., and its aftermath have highlighted the importance of assuring that the water provided in schools is safe to drink. This study will partner with national experts More

School Fundraisers: Positive Changes in Foods Sold, but Room for Improvement Remains

By

This brief reviews the evidence on food-related fundraising in schools and changes to the school food environment over the past decade, providing new data from the Bridging the Gap (BTG) research program’s 2013-14 school year national survey data. In-school fundraisers can be problematic nutritionally because, historically, unhealthy foods such as baked goods, candies, and sugary More

Identifying Successful Childhood Obesity Interventions in Massachusetts Schools and Using Findings to Improve Programs at Schools Left Behind

By

While overall prevalence of obesity improved in Massachusetts public schools between 2009 and 2014, prevalence remained unchanged for children living in poor, rural, and smaller communities. This project will identify which programs and activities have been effective in reducing childhood obesity among the successful schools, and use the information to guide future interventions for those More