What do children eat in the summer? A direct observation of summer day camps that serve meals

Kenney, Erica L.; Lee, Rebekka M.; Brooks, Carolyn J.; Cradock, Angie L.; Gortmaker, Steven L.

Back to Previous Page

- Add this to...
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Google Bookmarks
- LinkedIn

What do children eat in the summer? A direct observation of summer day camps that serve meals

Published Date:

Mar 17 2017

Source:

J Acad Nutr Diet. 117(7):1097-1103.

Language:

English

[PDF-85.59 KB]

Details:

Personal Authors:

Kenney, Erica L. ; Lee, Rebekka M. ; Brooks, Carolyn J. ; Cradock, Angie L. ; Gortmaker, Steven L. ;

Keywords:

[+]

Pubmed ID:

28330733

Pubmed Central ID:

PMC5484720

Description:

Background

Over 14 million children in the United States attend summer camp annually, yet little is known about the food environment in day camps.

Objectives

Describe the nutritional quality of meals served to, brought by, and consumed by children attending summer day camps serving meals and snacks; describe camp water access.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Participants/settings

One hundred forty-nine children attending five summer camps in Boston, Massachusetts in 2013.

Main outcome measures

Foods and beverages served were observed for five consecutive days. For two days, children’s dietary intake was directly observed using a validated protocol. Outcome measures included total energy (kcals) and servings of different types of foods and beverages served and consumed during breakfast, lunch, and snack.

Statistical analyses performed

Mean total energy, trans fats, sodium, sugar, and fiber served per meal were calculated across the camps, as were average weekly frequencies of serving fruits, vegetables, meat/meat alternates, grains, milk, 100% juice, sugar-sweetened beverages, whole grains, red/highly processed meats, grain-based desserts, and salty snacks. Mean consumption was calculated per camper per day.

Results

On average, camps served 647.7 (SD: 134.3) kcals for lunch, 401.8 kcals (149.6) for breakfast, and 266.4 (SD: 150.8) kcals for snack. Most camps served red/highly processed meats, salty snacks, and grain-based desserts frequently, and rarely served vegetables or water. Children consumed little (for example, at lunch, 36.5% of fruit portions, 35.0% of meat/meat alternative portions, and 37.6% of milk portions served), except for salty snacks (66.9% of portions) and grain-based desserts (64.1% of portions). Sugar-sweetened beverages and salty snacks were frequently brought to camp. A quarter of campers drank nothing throughout the entire camp day.

Conclusions

The nutritional quality of foods and beverages served at summer day camps could be improved. Future studies should assess barriers to consumption of healthy foods and beverages in these settings.

Document Type:

Journal Article

Collection(s):

CDC Public Access

Funding:

T32 HL098048/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States
U48 DP001946/DP/NCCDPHP CDC HHS/United States
U58 DP004726/DP/NCCDPHP CDC HHS/United States

Place as Subject:

United States

Main Document Checksum:

[+]

Supporting Files:

nihms848218.nxml

text/xml

No Related Documents.

You May Also Like:

Food service guidelines : case studies states and communities

Corporate Author:

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (U.S.). Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Prevention.

Published:

August 2015

Description:

Every day, millions of Americans eat foods provided or sold at their workplaces or in other institutional settings. Food service guidelines like the Health and Sustainability Guidelines for Federal Concessions andVendingOperationscanbeusedtocreateafo...

File Type:

[PDF - 1.85 MB]
Food Service Guidelines: Case Studies from States and Communities

Corporate Author:

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (U.S.). Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity.

Published:

8/1/2015

Description:

Introduction..................................................................................................................................................................... 4 : Healthy Food Procurement Policy: County of Los Angeles.................

File Type:

[PDF - 1.85 MB]
5 a Day works!

Corporate Author:

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (U.S.). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.).

Published:

2005

Description:

This 5 A Day Works! publication is a collection of program descriptions and success stories from the coordinators of 5 A Day programs in all 50 states, two U.S. cities, and two branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. We’ve also included two stories abou...

File Type:

[PDF - 4.06 MB]
Good food is power : a collection of traditional foods stories from the Ramah Navajo Community, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and Tohono O’odham Nation

Personal Author:

Wesner, Chelsea

Corporate Author:

Native Diabetes Wellness Program (U.S.). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.); National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (U.S.). Division of Diabetes Translation.. Native Diabetes Wellness Program (U.S.).

Published:

2014

Series:

Traditional foods in native America ; part II

Description:

Commissioned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Native Diabetes Wellness Program (NDWP), this report is the third in a compendium of stories highlighting traditional foods programs in culturally and geographically diverse Ame...

File Type:

[PDF - 3.63 MB]
Traditional foods in native America. Part III, a compendium of stories from the Indigenous food sovereignty movement in American Indian and Alaska Native communities

Personal Author:

Wesner, Chelsea

Corporate Author:

Native Diabetes Wellness Program (U.S.). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.); National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (U.S.). Division of Diabetes Translation.. Native Diabetes Wellness Program (U.S.).

Published:

2015

Series:

Traditional foods in native America ; part III

Description:

Commissioned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Native Diabetes Wellness Program (NDWP), this report is the third in a compendium of stories highlighting traditional foods programs in culturally and geographically diverse Ame...

File Type:

[PDF - 3.52 MB]