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High School Nutrition Policy: Case Study of Intended and Unintended Consequences
Author(s) -
Metos Julie,
Owen Rebecca,
Utz Rebecca
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.273.2
Subject(s) - meal , unintended consequences , purchasing , school meal , revenue , psychological intervention , business , state (computer science) , environmental health , marketing , medicine , political science , finance , nursing , pathology , algorithm , computer science , law
Background There is a fundamental gap in understanding how policies of the past decade influence high school nutrition environments and how youths' obesogenic behaviors change in response to policy interventions. The purpose of this study was to understand the consequences of recent school nutrition policies on purchasing habits of high school students. Methods A retrospective evaluation (2004‐2014) of high school meal program participation and competitive food sales was conducted using administrative data from a large urban school district in which local, state and federal wellness initiatives have been implemented during the past decade. Results School meal participation, adjusted for enrollment and price, did not change significantly immediately following local, state and federal wellness policies implemented in 2004 and 2006. Vending sales increased 12% during the same time period. Revisions to meal offerings in accordance to the Healthy and Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) resulted in a 7% decrease in meal participation and a 14% increase in vending sales in 2012‐13. A la carte sales decreased each year from 2007‐2010 until discontinued in 2011. To date, 2014‐15 data suggests stabilization of both vending revenues and meal participation following implementation of regulations requiring healthier competitive food offerings. Conclusion This case study suggests incremental school nutrition policies shift adolescent food behaviors towards less healthful options and this trend is reversed when all food and beverage options are regulated. Funding provided by the University of Utah Center for Clinical and Translational Research