Improving the School Food Environment: Results from a Pilot Study in Middle Schools

Abstract

Our objective for this study was to examine the feasibility of instituting environmental changes during a 6-week pilot in school foodservice programs, with long-term goals of improving dietary quality and preventing obesity and type 2 diabetes in youth. Participants included students and staff from six middle schools in three states. Formative assessment with students and school staff was conducted in the spring of 2003 to inform the development of school foodservice policy changes. Thirteen potential policy goals were delineated. These formed the basis for the environmental change pilot intervention implemented during the winter/spring of 2004. Questionnaires were used to assess the extent to which the 13 foodservice goals were achieved. Success was defined as achieving 75% of goals not met at baseline. Daily data were collected on goal achievement using the schools' daily food production and sales records. Qualitative data were also collected after the pilot study to obtain feedback from students and staff. Formative research with staff and students identified potential environmental changes. Most schools made substantial changes in the National School Lunch Program meal and snack bar/a la carte offerings. Vending goals were least likely to be achieved. Only one school did not meet the 75% goal achievement objective. Based on the objective data as well as qualitative feedback from student focus groups and interviews with students and school staff, healthful school foodservice changes in the cafeteria and snack bar can be implemented and were acceptable to the staff and students. Implementing longer-term and more ambitious changes and assessing cost issues and the potential enduring impact of these changes on student dietary change and disease risk reduction merits investigation.

Factors Influencing the Implementation of Organized Physical Activity and Fruit and Vegetable Snacks in the HOP'N After-School Obesity Prevention Program

“…Similar to other studies, 24 the largest barrier to providing a daily FV snack was cost; which included the actual purchase of FV, and also the time to prepare and the potential for waste associated with fresh FV. The budget did not allow for additional staff to be hired to prepare an after-school snack, which meant GLs were the ones responsible to ensure snack was prepared.…”

Impact of Portion-Size Control for School a la Carte Items: Changes in Kilocalories and Macronutrients Purchased by Middle School Students

“…Inclusion criteria were at least a 50% ethnic minority student population (African American, Native American, and Hispanic), the groups most at risk for type 2 diabetes (4), and at least 50% of the students eligible for free/reduced price meals. There were 13 pilot intervention goals, 6 of which were specific to the a la carte/ snack bar area, with the others pertaining to the National School Lunch Program (9). This article presents data about the success of the a la carte/snack bar goals (reduce all regular chips serving size bags to ≤1.5 oz, increase lower-fat chip offerings by 25%; offer bottled water in a 20-oz size, and limit all sweetened beverages to ≤12 oz) most likely to impact energy balance.…”

“…Approximately 13 a la carte/snack bar items were sold daily in the Texas schools, 11 to 17 in the North Carolina schools, and 22 to 31 in the California schools. More details about the schools can be found in a previous publication (9). A research dietitian at each field center worked with the school foodservice manager to implement the intervention goals, and conducted in-service trainings with all foodservice workers to explain changes and enlist support for the intervention.…”

“…A recent study reported that making environmental school foodservice changes to improve item selections as a means to reduce incidence of youth type 2 diabetes risk factors was feasible (9). The specific improvements included promoting consumption of fruit and vegetables, water, and lower-fat food selections in all school foodservice environments, and reducing access to sweetened beverages and large packages of high-fat snack chips in the a la carte/snack bars.…”

Finding Targets for Obesity Intervention in Urban Communities: School-Based Health Centers and the Interface with Affected Youth

“…[24][25][26] While the literature on intervention is limited and focuses on early adolescents, studies have consistently shown that school-based interventions are desperately needed and can be effective. [27][28][29][30][31] For example, Planet Health, an interdisciplinary school intervention for early adolescents in Massachusetts, reduced television viewing hours overall in boys and girls, increased fruit and vegetable consumption and smaller increment in energy intake in girls, and decreased obesity among girls. 32 Alternatively, a randomized trial of school-based environmental and policy changes among early adolescents was successful in increasing physical activity and reduced BMI among boys.…”