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School Wellness Committees Are Associated With Lower Body Mass Index Z‐Scores and Improved Dietary Intakes in US Children: The Healthy Communities Study
Author(s) -
Au Lauren E.,
Crawford Patricia B.,
WoodwardLopez Gail,
Gurzo Klara,
Kao Janice,
Webb Karen L.,
Ritchie Lorrene D.
Publication year - 2018
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.12664
Subject(s) - body mass index , medicine , anthropometry , obesity , childhood obesity , confidence interval , added sugar , environmental health , demography , gerontology , overweight , sociology , pathology
BACKGROUND Our objective was to examine the association between school wellness committees and implementation of nutrition wellness policies and children's weight status and obesity‐related dietary outcomes. METHODS A cross‐sectional study was conducted of 4790 children aged 4‐15 years recruited from 130 communities in the Healthy Communities Study. Multilevel statistical models assessed associations between school wellness policies and anthropometric (body mass index z‐score [BMIz]) and nutrition measures, adjusting for child and community‐level covariates. RESULTS Children had lower BMI z‐scores (−0.11, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.19, −0.03) and ate breakfast more frequently (0.14 days/week, 95% CI: 0.02‐0.25) if attending a school with a wellness committee that met once or more in the past year compared to attending a school with a wellness committee that did not meet/did not exist. Children had lower added sugar (p < .0001), lower energy‐dense foods (p = .0004), lower sugar intake from sugar‐sweetened beverages (p = .0002), and lower dairy consumption (p = .001) if attending a school with similar or stronger implementation of the nutrition components of the school wellness policies compared to other schools in the district. CONCLUSIONS A more active wellness committee was associated with lower BMI z‐scores in US schoolchildren. Active school engagement in wellness policy implementation appears to play a positive role in efforts to reduce childhood obesity.