BACKGROUND: The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) summer meal programs are designed to provide meals at no cost while school is out of session. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several regulatory waivers were enacted to facilitate meal distribution. The aim of this study was to assess the rates of meal distribution before and after these…

Background: The public health policies and school closures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have created disruptions in school meal programs. Research is needed to understand the changes in school food service revenue before and during the initial COVID-19-related school shutdowns. Methods: A longitudinal cohort study examining federal and…

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted access to school meal programs, putting children and adolescents at greater risk for food and nutrition insecurity. In response, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) waived restrictions on where free meal sites (FMS) operating through its summer meal programs could locate. This study assesses whether…

BACKGROUND: Participation in the US Department of Agriculture's summer meals program is consistently lower compared to National School Lunch Program (NSLP) participation, even though the programs target the same population of children. The purpose of this study was to elucidate reasons for participation and nonparticipation in the summer meals…

Background: The school food environment is a critically important area to target the health of millions of students, especially those experiencing food insecurity. However, both students and caregivers have noted significant barriers to participation in the school meal program, including taste, lunchroom experience, and limited availability of…

Background: In this paper, we describe the design, program details, and baseline demographics and oral health of participants in ForsythKids, a regional, comprehensive, school-based mobile caries prevention program. Methods: We solicited all Massachusetts elementary schools with greater than 50% of students receiving free or reduced-price meals.…

Background: This study examined student and caregiver preference for school communication and explored the feasibility and acceptability of a digital tool to assist with communication about school meal program between schools and families. Methods: The study used qualitative methodology through youth focus groups and caregiver semi-structured…

Background: Approximately 20% of US children are obese and these rates are expected to increase. The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides meals to millions of students and may influence their body mass index (BMI). This study aimed to investigate whether students who participate in the NSLP have a higher BMI when compared to those that do…

Background: School meals have demonstrated positive effects on dietary habits of children and adolescents, yet opportunities to increase participation exist. Little is known about how participation differs by race/ethnicity or by acculturation levels, thus this study aims to identify acculturation and race/ethnicity on school meal participation of…

Background: The National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs reduce food insecurity and improve dietary intake. During the COVID-19 pandemic, school meals were provided to all children at no cost, regardless of income. This policy is known as Healthy School Meals For All (HSMFA). The purpose of the study was to examine the feasibility of a…

Background: Schools are a promising site for influencing the dietary intake of children and adolescents. The US Department of Agriculture recently released flexibilities to requirements for whole-grains, sodium, and low-fat milk in schools who demonstrated difficulty meeting nutrition standards for school meal programs. The support of School…

Background: The National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs help to reduce food insecurity and improve nutrition. The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) enables high-poverty schools to offer breakfast and lunch at no cost to all students. This study examines associations between CEP and participation among students eligible for free or…

Background: In order to better understand some of the barriers to athletic opportunities for girls, we examined school-level characteristics to assess how they are associated with both the provision and participation in athletic opportunities for girls across US public high schools. Methods: Cross-sectional data for this study comes from the…

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…

Objective: School summer holiday clubs in deprived areas of Wales were evaluated to examine opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity and explore delivery processes. Methods: Ten Food and Fun clubs participated in 2016. Quantitative data (child and parent surveys; N = 196, N = 84) assessed the opportunity to provide children with…