State: National

Examining Bottled-Water Restrictions and Environmental Concerns as an Opportunity to Reduce Sugary Drink Consumption Among Children and Adults

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Policies that restrict bottled water sales for environmental and sustainability purposes, and policies that increase access to bottled water to reduce sugary drink access, may be working at cross-purposes to the detriment of the environment and the public’s health. This study will explore policies that restrict the use of bottled water and describe opportunities presented More

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

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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

Examining Practices that Promote Access to Safe Routes to School Programs in Vulnerable Communities

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Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs in multiple states have adopted several approaches to reduce barriers faced by schools in low-income communities in applying for and implementing a SRTS award. This study aimed to determine which of these practices for equitable funding were successful in promoting SRTS implementation within vulnerable communities. To assess state practices, More

Informing Rural Schools’ Efforts to Sustainably Implement Revised Federal Standards for School Meals and Snacks

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Recent federal policies for revised school meals and Smart Snacks standards aimed for all children to have equitable access to health-promoting food environments. However, studies indicate that rural school, particularly at the secondary level, are lagging behind urban schools in the quality of policies and practices. The aims of this study are to: 1) identify More

Using State Laws & Regulations to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity in Afterschool Programs

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Out-of-School time (OST) programs are a promising setting for reducing child obesity risk by promoting healthy eating and providing opportunities for physical activity. The Healthy Out-of-School Time Coalition developed the National AfterSchool Association Healthy Eating and Physical Activity standards in 2011 to provide comprehensive guidance on how to promote healthy eating and physical activity. To More

Prioritizing Transportation Equity through Complete Streets

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Complete Streets is a transportation and design concept in which streets are designed to be safe and accessible to all users and modes of transportation. This report summarizes findings from a qualitative study of eight communities that had identified equity as a priority in their Complete Streets policy to identify how equity is being implemented More

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

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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