ERIC Number: EJ1230822
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Nov
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-4391
EISSN: N/A
Updated Nutrition Standards for School Meals Associated with Improved Weight Outcomes for Boys in Elementary School
Vericker, Tracy C.; Gearing, Maeve E.; Kim, Sharon D.
Journal of School Health, v89 n11 p907-915 Nov 2019
Background: In response to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, the US Department Agriculture updated the nutrition standards for school meals to improve nutrition-related health outcomes for children. This study assesses the association between implementation of the updated nutrition standards and child weight. Methods: A quasi-experimental design and multivariate regression analysis is used to compare longitudinal changes in BMI z-scores for school lunch participants and nonparticipants across 2 nationally representative third grade cohorts of children--those exposed to the updated standards (N = 5480) and those not exposed (N = 9240). Results: Boys who ate school lunches after implementation of the updated standards experienced slower BMI z-score growth than did nonparticipants; participants' BMI z-scores increased by 0.10 compared with 0.18 for nonparticipants. We find no relationship between school lunch participation and BMI z-scores for girls. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that the updated nutrition standards for school meals are associated with improved weight outcome for boys, but have no effect for girls, 1 year after implementation. These findings are encouraging and provide support for continued focus on improving the nutritional quality of school meals.
Descriptors: Nutrition, Standards, Health Promotion, Body Weight, Child Health, Elementary School Students, Grade 3, Males, Lunch Programs, Improvement
Wiley-Blackwell. 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148. Tel: 800-835-6770; Tel: 781-388-8598; Fax: 781-388-8232; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2429/WileyCDA
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Early Childhood Education; Grade 3; Primary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (NIH)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: R03HD081410