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

Start Date: June 2006

ID #: 57920

Principal Investigator: Janet Whatley Blum, ScD

Organization: University of Southern Maine

Funding Round: Round 1

See more related research

Share

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 school student dietary behaviors. Data will be collected from 97 high schools regarding current and pre-Chapter 51 school food service environments, policies and revenues and survey data from 660 students from 11 random high schools. Geographical Information Systems will be used to assess proximity and density of non-school venues for 11 high schools.

Age Group: Adolescents (grades 9 to 12)

Keywords: Competitive foods, Food outlet, Geographic information systems, Nutrition standards, School meal programs, Snacks, Sugar-sweetened beverages, Vending machines

Focus Areas: Food Access, School & After School

Resource Type: Grant Summary

State: Maine

Race/Ethnicity: Multi-racial/ethnic, White

Related Research

July 2011

Location of Food Stores Near Schools Does Not Predict the Weight Status of Maine High School Students

This article examines the relationship between stores selling calorie-dense foods near schools and student risk of being overweight or obese. Based on survey and geographic information systems (GIS) data for 11 Main high schools, researchers found ten schools with at least one store selling soda, and eight schools with at least one fast-food restaurant, within More

January 2011

Impact of Maine’s Statewide Nutrition Policy on High School Food Environments

This article examines the effects of Maine’s statewide nutrition policy banning “foods of minimal nutritional value” in public high schools (Chapter 51). The food environment of public high schools participating in federally funded meal programs was evaluated. Researchers found a significant decrease in availability of soda in student vending machines post-Chapter 51. No significant changes More

August 2025

Diet Quality and Weight Status are Predicted by Federal Nutrition Assistance Program Participation, Health, and Demographics

This study investigated whether demographic, social, and economic determinants of health, including length of time participating in safety net programs, are associated with diet quality and weight status in early childhood. Using the WIC infant and toddler feeding practices study-2, classification and regression tree identified the sequence of binary splits that best differentiated the sample More