Assessing the Relationship between District and State Policies and School Nutrition Promotion-Related Practices in the United States

Abstract

School environments are an optimal setting to promote healthy student diets, yet it is unclear what role state and district policies play in shaping school contexts. This study examined how state and district policies are associated with school-reported practices for promoting student participation in school lunch programs. School nutrition manager data were obtained from the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study’s (SNMCS) sample of 1210 schools in 46 states and the District of Columbia (DC) during school year 2014–2015. Relevant state laws and district policies were compiled and coded. Multivariable logistic and Poisson regressions, controlling for school characteristics, examined the relationship between state/district laws/policies and school practices. Compared to schools in districts or states with no policies/laws, respectively, schools were more likely to provide nutritional information on school meals (AOR = 2.59, 95% CI = 1.33, 5.05) in districts with strong policies, and to promote school meals at school events (AOR = 1.93, CI = 1.07, 3.46) in states with strong laws. Schools in states with any laws related to strategies to increase participation in school meals were more likely to seek student involvement in menu planning (AOR = 2.02, CI = 1.24, 3.31) and vegetable offerings (AOR = 2.00, CI = 1.23, 3.24). The findings support the association of laws/policies with school practices.

COVID-19 and school food: The impact of the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic on student nutrition programs in Ontario

“…Evidence from the United States and other G7 countries makes a strong argument for the benefits of a national program. For example, McLoughlin et al (2020) illustrate how a national school program infrastructure has been able to support communities in the response to COVID-19.…”

“…Consequently, there is lack of ownership of SNPs and associated detriments to programs, such as a patchwork of funding, diffuse governance, and unrealized potential. The fact that nutrition programs are not owned by any one government department in Canada is unique in the global sphere of school nutrition (De Wit, 2012;McLoughlin et al, 2020). Other G7 countries have federally funded nutrition programs that are hosted by their education departments (De Wit, 2012).…”

State Wellness Policy Requirement Laws Matter for District Wellness Policy Comprehensiveness and Wellness Policy Implementation in the United States

“…Qualitative and descriptive studies have examined factors influencing the implementation of LWP [ 17 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]. Additionally, a number of studies have documented the association between LWPs or components of the LWP (e.g., physical activity provisions or school food provisions) and concomitant school practices [ 30 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 ] and/or student outcomes [ 19 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 ].…”

“…At the same time, there have been a plethora of studies examining the association or impact of state laws governing elements of LWPs (e.g., laws related to school food, nutrition, and physical activity and physical education environments) on district LWPs, school practices, and student outcomes [ 35 , 37 , 39 , 40 , 42 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 ]. In most instances, these LWP content-related state laws (e.g., school food requirements) were associated with school practices and student outcomes; however, these state laws were not mandated by federal law like the LWP.…”

Dietary Intake and Lifestyle Habits of Children Aged 10–12 Years Enrolled in the School Lunch Program in Greece: A Cross Sectional Analysis

“…To that extent, two policies are the most commonly employed, (i) the regulation of foods available for purchase in school canteens and/or (ii) the provision of school meals, either free or with a small cost [ 1 , 2 ]. School Lunch, the most effective of all policies, is often seen as a strong political commitment in the fight of childhood obesity and is often introduced in countries/states with an extensive portfolio of public health measures [ 3 ].…”