Details:

Alternative Title:
Prev Chronic Dis
Personal Author:
Whatley Blum, Janet E. ; Beaudoin, Christina M. ; O'Brien, Liam M. ; Polacsek, Michele ; Harris, David E. ; ... More +
Whatley Blum, Janet E. ; Beaudoin, Christina M. ; O'Brien, Liam M. ; Polacsek, Michele ; Harris, David E. ; O'Rourke, Karen A. Less -
Description:
Introduction

We assessed the effect on the food environments of public high schools of Maine's statewide nutrition policy (Chapter 51), which banned "foods of minimal nutritional value" (FMNV) in public high schools that participated in federally funded meal programs. We documented allowable exceptions to the policy and describe the school food environments.

Methods

We mailed surveys to 89 high school food-service directors to assess availability pre–Chapter 51 and post–Chapter 51 of soda, other sugar-sweetened beverages, and junk food. Frequency data were tabulated pre–Chapter 51 and post–Chapter 51, and Fisher exact test was used to assess significance in changes. We conducted food and beverage inventories at 11 high schools.

Results

The survey return rate was 61% (N = 54). Availability of soda in student vending significantly decreased pre–Chapter 51 versus post–Chapter 51 (P = .04). No significant changes were found for other sugar-sweetened beverages and junk food. Exceptions to Chapter 51 were permitted to staff (67%), to the public (86%), and in career and technical education programs (31%). Inventories in a subset of schools found no availability of soda for students, whereas other sugar-sweetened beverages and junk food were widely available in à la carte, vending machines, and school stores. Candy, considered a FMNV, was freely available. Soda advertisement on school grounds was common.

Conclusions

Student vending choices improved after the implementation of Chapter 51; however, use of FMNV as the policy standard may be limiting, as availability of other sugar-sweetened beverages and junk food was pervasive. School environments were not necessarily supportive of the policy, as advertisement of soda was common and some FMNV were available. Furthermore, local exceptions to Chapter 51 likely reduced the overall effect of the policy.


Subject:
[+]
Beverages
Data Collection
Eating
Food Services
Food Supply
Humans
Nutrition Policy
Nutrition Surveys
Nutritive Value
Schools

Source:
Prev Chronic Dis. 8(1).
Document Type:
Journal Article
Place as Subject:
Maine
Collection(s):
Preventing Chronic Disease
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:39e2a2ceb1be60f1a418ebfcc29f2887fb56a545be3c696b05d4e73a15e1a6dd
File Type:

Supporting Files

• 	license.txt	txt
  	PCD81A19.nxml	txt

More +