Nutrition Quality of U.S. School Snack Foods: A First Look at 2011-2014 Bid Records in 8 School Districts

As part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, snacks and desserts sold in schools as of the 2014-2015 school year were required to meet “Smart Snacks” nutritional guidelines. This study evaluated the potential of using public bid records to characterize the nutrition quality of snack food procured by school districts. Using Interflex, a database of More

Strength of Obesity Prevention Interventions in Early Care and Education Settings: A Systematic Review

Given the high levels of obesity in young children, number of children in out-of-home care, and data suggesting a link between early care and education (ECE) participation and overweight/obesity, obesity prevention in ECE settings is critical. This systematic review covered obesity prevention interventions in center-based ECE settings published between 2010 and 2015. The goal was More

Impact of Explained v. Unexplained Front-of-Package Nutrition Labels on Parent and Child Food Choices: A Randomized Trial

This study examined the impact of front-of-package (FOP) labels and in-aisle signage identifying and explaining those labels on the healthfulness of foods selected by consumers. 153 parent/child pairs completed the study in a laboratory grocery aisle. Participants were randomly assigned to one of five conditions: (i) Facts up Front labels with in-aisle signs explaining the More

The Influence of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Warnings: A Randomized Trial of Adolescents’ Choices and Beliefs

California, New York, and the cities of San Francisco and Baltimore have introduced bills requiring health-related warning labels for sugar-sweetened beverages. This study measured the extent to which these warning labels influence adolescents’ beliefs and hypothetical choices. Over 2,000 adolescents ages 12-18 completed an online survey in which they chose a beverage in a hypothetical More

How Do We Actually Put Smarter Snacks in Schools? NOURISH (Nutrition Opportunities to Understand Reforms Involving Student Health) Conversations with Food-Service Directors

In 2012, Massachusetts implemented a state law to establish nutrition standards for competitive foods and beverages sold or provided in public schools, similar to the federal Smart Snacks in School standards. This mixed-methods study aimed to understand food service directors’ (FSD) perspectives and experiences implementing the Massachusetts standards. The study used direct observation of foods More

A Trial of the Efficacy and Cost of Water Delivery Systems in San Francisco Bay Area Middle Schools, 2013

This study aimed to examine the efficacy and cost of two water delivery systems—water dispensers with cups and water coolers with cups—in increasing students’ lunchtime intake of water in lower-income middle schools. Twelve middle schools in the San Francisco Bay Area participated in a cluster randomized control trial in which they were assigned to one More

The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Diet and Young Children’s Cognitive Development: A Systematic Review

Given that early childhood is a formative developmental period, this study addresses important knowledge gaps by systematically reviewing the current literature on the relationship between physical activity and dietary patterns with cognitive outcomes in early childhood (6 months to 5 years). For physical activity, twelve studies (5 cross-sectional, 3 longitudinal, and 4 experimental) were included. More

Measures of Retail Food Store Environments and Sales: Review and Implications for Healthy Eating Initiatives

This review describes available measures of retail food store environments, including data collection methods, characteristics of measures, the dimensions most commonly captured across methods, and their strengths and limitations. Articles were included if they were published between 1990 and 2015 in an English-language peer-reviewed journal and presented original research findings on the development and/or use More

Impact of Nutrition Standards on Competitive Food Quality in Massachusetts Middle and High Schools

In 2012, Massachusetts implemented a competitive food law similar to the fully implemented version of the national Smart Snack standards. The NOURISH study (Nutrition Opportunities to Understand Reforms Involving Student Health) was created to assess the nutritional quality (compliance) and availability of competitive foods and beverages in middle and high schools before and after the More

Healthier Standards for School Meals and Snacks: Impact on School Food Revenues and Lunch Participation Rates

In 2012, the updated U.S. Department of Agriculture school meals standards and a comprehensive competitive food law similar to the fully implemented version of the national Smart Snacks standards went into effect in Massachusetts. This study evaluated the impact of both standards on school food revenues and school lunch participation. Revenue and participation data from More