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ERIC Number: EJ1384899
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Aug
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0017-8969
EISSN: EISSN-1748-8176
School Lunch Advisory Councils' Use of Behavioural Economics Influences Vegetable Selection and Waste
Byker Shanks, Carmen; Stenberg, Molly; Bark, Katie; Izumi, Betty; Hoff, Casey; Parks, Courtney A.
Health Education Journal, v82 n5 p518-528 Aug 2023
Introduction: Fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption is low among adolescents, and waste of these foods is high in school cafeterias. The objective of this research was to determine the impact of behavioural economic strategies and structural lunchroom changes on FV selection and waste in high-school lunch programmes using the collaborative efforts of teachers, food service directors and students. Methods: A pre-post quasi-experimental design was used to collect plate waste data for 3 days in the autumn and 3 days in the spring semesters. Five high-school cafeterias from three rural and two urban counties in Montana participated. School Lunch Advisory Councils selected and implemented behavioural economic strategies that focused on increasing selection and decreasing waste of FVs served on the main service line and salad bar. Plate waste data were collected using direct weighing and the quarter-waste method. Preintervention to postintervention plate waste amounts were compared using descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Vegetable selection at the salad bar significantly increased (p < 0.05). Vegetable waste significantly decreased at the main service line (p < 0.05). Fruit selection and waste did not significantly change. Conclusion: Changes in the lunchroom environment through behavioural economic strategies provide one avenue to increase selection and decrease waste of vegetables, ultimately influencing overall dietary quality among high-school students and creating more sustainable food systems.
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2993
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: US Department of Agriculture (USDA); National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) (DHHS/NIH)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Montana
Grant or Contract Numbers: P20GM103474; 5P20GM104417