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Investigating How to Align Schools' Marketing Environments With Federal Standards for Competitive Foods
Author(s) -
Polacsek Michele,
O'Brien Liam M.,
Pratt Elizabeth,
WhatleyBlum Janet,
Adler Sabrina
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of school health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.851
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1746-1561
pISSN - 0022-4391
DOI - 10.1111/josh.12488
Subject(s) - marketing , business , food marketing , marketing mix , social marketing , nutrition education , medicine , gerontology
BACKGROUND Limiting food and beverage marketing to children is a promising approach to influence children's nutrition behavior. School‐based marketing influences nutrition behavior and studies have consistently found marketing for nonnutritious foods and beverages in schools. No studies have examined the resources necessary to align school marketing environments with federal school nutrition standards. The purpose of this study was to determine how to improve school marketing environments so that they align with new federal competitive food nutrition standards.METHODS We assessed food marketing environments in 3 Portland, Maine schools using the Food and Beverage Marketing Survey ( FBMS ) and provided technical assistance to bring their marketing environments into conformity with the federal competitive food regulations, tracking resources and strategies for marketing removal.RESULTS Noncompliant marketing was significantly reduced pre‐ to postintervention. Intervention strategies were facilitated by the School Health Coordinator and school‐based wellness teams.CONCLUSIONS Low monetary resources were required to remove marketing not compliant with federal nutrition standards for foods sold in schools. Several key challenges remain to sustain efforts. This study provides timely information for policymakers to support crafting policies that address the realities of school nutrition environments and universal enforcement challenges.