Assessing the Impact of School Vending Machine Policies on Rural Adolescent Beverage Consumption

The goal of this study is to analyze the impact of school vending machine policies on adolescent beverage consumption in predominantly rural high schools across New Hampshire and Vermont. Using data from an ongoing study, this project will specifically seek to compare school beverage vending machine guidelines, restrictions, implementation, and content; and to evaluate the More

Determining How Small Changes in the Way Snacks and Meals are Presented Influence Their Intake Among 3-5 year Olds

This project uses a series of field experiments in daycare centers to determine how small changes in the way snacks and meals are presented to children, such as pairing foods with attractive names, icons and/or cartoon characters, will change their intake. The study will examine how salience (awareness) and expectations influence the food choices and More

Reducing the Risk of Obesity for African-American Youth by Developing a Program to Improve the Food Environment in Baltimore

This project will evaluate an innovative intervention to change the food environment to reduce obesity risk among low-income urban African American children. Specifically, it will (a) develop, implement and evaluate a program that creates healthy eating zones around selected city schools that will increase the availability of healthy food options and promote them at the More

Documenting the Range and Quality of Existing Preschool Food Policies in Connecticut

This project will investigate preschool food policies through two primary aims. First, the study will develop new measures and examine the validity of existing preschool nutrition measures through rigorous psychometric analysis, pilot and primary testing, and validity studies. The final product will be a multi-method toolkit of measures assessing the nutrition environment, caregiver attitudes, food More

Studying Spatial Associations Between the Density of Schools and the Density of Fast Food Outlets

The overall objectives of this project are to study inequality in New York City’s food environment, and more specifically, the distribution of fast food restaurants. Specifically, this project will study spatial associations between school density and fast food density, investigate environmental determinants of fast food density, and explore the circumstances in which fast food restaurateurs More

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

Effect of School Accountability Policies on Children’s Health

Stricter school accountability standards have changed the inner workings of elementary schools in the United States, raising test scores in the process. These changes have been particularly abrupt in schools labeled as failing under their states accountability regime. This study will assess whether children in schools just below the test score cutoffs are more likely 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