Published: January 2020

ID #: 1113

Publisher: Healthy Eating Research and RTI International

Authors: Giombi K, Dean C, Rains C, Hardison Walters JL, Dawes D

See more related research

Share


This research brief summarizes findings from an exploratory study of a diverse sample of juvenile justice residential facilities in North Carolina conducted by RTI International. The study examined food service operations, agency and facility level policies and practices pertaining to nutrition, participation in federal school nutrition programs, and additional food service funding sources. The overall goal of this research was twofold. The first was to identify areas for nutrition-related policy and environmental improvements in juvenile justice settings. The second was to examine promising practices and innovative approaches to promote healthy eating in order to influence short- and long-term health outcomes of these youth and their families. The study found that juvenile justice facilities in North Carolina offered innovative programming and opportunities for youth to learn about nutritious foods and healthy lifestyle choices. The findings suggest that North Carolina may be an innovator among juvenile justice residential facilities, and future research is needed to examine the food and beverage environments of facilities across multiple states and facility types.

Related Research

January 2020

Leveraging Juvenile Justice Food Environments to Advance Health Equity

Researchers and advocates have drawn attention to the public health consequences of mass incarceration and its contribution to racial health disparities in the United States. The conditions within juvenile justice facilities may influence long-term health outcomes for African-American, Latino, and Native American populations, who are more likely than white youth to be placed in these More

February 2023

Rapid Health Impact Assessment on Changes to School Nutrition Standards to Align with 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The national school breakfast and lunch programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are cornerstone federal nutrition assistance programs. School meals are one of the healthiest sources of foods for school-age children, which is significant as some children receive up to half of their daily calories at school. Policy opportunities in 2023 More

January 2023

Evaluation of WIC Online Ordering during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from an Oklahoma Grocery Store Chain

The COVID-19 pandemic is worsening the disparities in food access in the United States. As consumers have been increasingly using grocery online ordering services to limit their exposure to the COVID-19 virus, participants of federal nutrition assistance programs lack the online benefit redemption option. With the support of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), retailers More