The quality and impact of school meal programs could be improved by menu labeling policies, but there is little research about nutrition labeling in schools. This project will utilize existing data as well as ongoing data collection to study the nutritional quality of foods selected by students in a diverse urban school district in Washington state over three years of changes in menu labeling. This prospective longitudinal quasi-experimental study will examine the effects of menu labeling and supplemental comprehensive school-wide educational campaigns over time. Specific project aims are to: 1) measure the long-term impact of menu labeling in schools, and 2) advance understanding of factors associated with the impact and sustainability of school menu labeling and menu labeling education.
Start Date: December 2012
ID #: 70549
Principal Investigator: Donna Johnson, RD, PhD
Organization: University of Washington
Funding Round: Round 7
Age Groups: Adolescents (grades 9 to 12), Young adolescents (grades 6 to 8)
Keywords: Food service, Menu Labeling, Point-of-decision prompts, School meal programs, Urban
Resource Type: Grant Summary
Race/Ethnicity: Multi-racial/ethnic
Focus Area: School & After School
State: Washington
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