School Foods Sold Outside of Meals. A Research Brief

Schools that provide federally reimbursed meal programs must meet federal nutrition standards. But snacks and drinks sold outside of these programs—so-called competitive foods—do not have to meet these requirements. This brief examines the availability of competitive foods, their nutritional content, their impact on students’ food consumption and policies for improving the school food environment.

Impact of Maine’s State-Wide Rule on High School Nutrition Environments and Students’ Dietary Behaviors

Maine’s Chapter 51 rule represents one of the strongest current state-wide school nutrition standards in the country. Study aims: 1) examine effects of Chapter 51, on high school nutrition policies, environments and revenues and on high school student dietary behaviors; and 2) examine the influence of proximity and density of non-school food venues on high More

Improving the School Food Environment: Legal Obstacles and Opportunities

This study will examine the legal environment facing schools as they seek to limit access to unhealthy foods and the marketing of unhealthy foods. The Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) will analyze the legal determinants that affect schools and will communicate effective policy guidance to stakeholders. This policy guidance will outline schools’ legal obligations to More

Macro-Level Predictors of School Wellness Policies in Connecticut

The present study will study the predictors, quality, and impact of Connecticut’s School Wellness Programs (SWP). The aims are to: 1) create, validate, and apply an assessment tool to measure the content and quality of all 2006-07 Connecticut SWPs; 2) view each district’s Index as an outcome variable, and test four categories of predictors; a) More

Factors Associated with Successful Development and Implementation of School Wellness Policies

This project will be a natural experiment examining issues related to school wellness policy development and implementation, and changes in school nutrition environments as schools work to comply with the wellness policy mandate. The aims of this project are to describe adequacy of wellness policies submitted by Pennsylvania Local Education Agencies, assess level of policy More

Study of Environmental and Policy Factors Impacting Healthy Eating Behaviors for Low-Income Elementary Students in Colorado

This project is designed to identify and evaluate environmental and policy features related to healthy eating among elementary schools located throughout low-income, Hispanic and non-Hispanic, urban and rural Colorado. In a longitudinal design, student diet recalls and school level food-related sales records will be used to assess diet and eating patterns over time. Environmental and More

A National Study of Public School Food Environments and Policies and Their Relationship to Diet and Obesity Among Students

The purpose of the study is: (a) to identify School Food Policy Environments and Policies (SFEPs) that are most likely to affect students’ dietary behaviors and/or weight, and (b) to understand how both the existence and impact of SFEPs may vary along socio-economic and racial/ethnic lines. Results of our proposed analyses will suggest which, if More

Study on Food Policies and Environments In and Around Elementary Schools and Their Relationship with Food Consumption and Body Mass Index

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of state competitive food policies, food environments inside schools, and food environments nearby schools on children’s food purchases, consumption, and body mass using data on a national sample of elementary school children. In addition, the study will examine socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in school food More