Cafeteria noise exposure and fruit and vegetable consumption at school lunch: A cross-sectional study of elementary students.

Presently in the U.S., few children meet the recommendation for daily consumption of fruits and vegetables (FV). School feeding programs have shown promise for increasing FV consumption among young children. However, several aspects of the school cafeteria environment have not been examined regarding their relationship with FV consumption. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between noise, selected environmental factors previously explored in the literature (i.e., recess/lunch order, the amount of time allocated for lunch, the presence of a salad bar, and number of FV items offered) and 2nd and 3rd grade students' FV consumption during lunch. A digital photography method was used to assess FV consumption among students across 40 days from 20 schools and environmental exposures, including the noise or sound pressure level of the cafeteria, were assessed during lunch. On average, students in this study consumed 0.35 (SD = 0.31) cups of fruit and 0.24 (SD = 0.29) cups of vegetables. The average noise level in cafeterias was 79.7 (SD = 4.1) Leq DbA (range 70 DbA - 84 DbA). Combined FV consumption was negatively associated with noise exposure (B = -0.017; SE = 0.004; P < 0.001) in hierarchical linear models. Among young children eating in cafeterias, increased noise levels may decrease consumption of fruits and vegetables at the school lunch meal. We hypothesize that increased noise can work in two ways to decrease FV consumption: increased socializing (i.e., talking) and/or decreased hedonic enjoyment of the school lunch meal, however future research is needed to examine these mechanisms and provide causal evidence of this effect.

Systematic review of the design, implementation and effectiveness of mass media and nutrition education interventions for infant and young child feeding.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the design, implementation and effectiveness of mass media and nutrition education interventions for improving infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices and related psychosocial factors. DESIGN: A search of PubMed, Embase and PsycINFO databases, a Google search, and a consultation with experts in the field of IYCF performed in July 2016. SETTING: Low- and middle-income countries, as defined by the World Bank Group. SUBJECTS: Eligible studies: included a mass media component (with or without nutrition education); conducted a pre-post evaluation (with or without a control group); assessed IYCF knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and/or practices; and were published in English between 2000 and present. RESULTS: Eighteen unique studies were identified that examined the effect of mass media (types included: television; print; voice and/or SMS (text) messages; radio; megaphones/loudspeakers; videos; social media; songs/dramas) and nutrition education interventions on IYCF practices within thirteen countries. Of these, fifteen studies reported improvements in breast- and/or complementary feeding practices, using indicators recommended by the WHO, and six studies reported improvements in related psychosocial factors. However, little detail was provided on the use of formative research, a formal behaviour change theory and behaviour change techniques. Few studies reported both dose delivered and participants' exposure to the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Despite evidence of effectiveness, few common elements in the design of interventions were identified. Future research should consistently report these details to open the 'black box' of IYCF interventions, identify effective design components and ensure replicability.

Factors Related to Fruit and Vegetable Consumption at Lunch Among Elementary Students: A Scoping Review.

INTRODUCTION: Few children consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, and schools are a valuable setting for interventions, including programs such as the National School Lunch Program, to increase consumption. Previous research explored factors in this program that influence fruit and vegetable consumption. The objective of this scoping review was to identify, describe, and categorize studies that quantitatively measured the consumption of fruits and vegetables during the school lunch meal among US elementary school students. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review to identify, describe, and categorize studies examining factors influencing fruit and vegetable consumption during lunch among children in the United States. Eligibility criteria included studies that reported fruit and vegetable consumption at the lunch meal among children in kindergarten through grade 5. We included all types of study designs and categorized factors according to a socioecological framework. RESULTS: We identified 49 studies that examined the influence of one or more factors on elementary students' consumption of fruits and vegetables. Factors (n = 21) were categorized according to a socioecological framework: individual (3 factors), social environment (3 factors), physical environment (9 factors), policy (2 factors), and a combined approach (4 factors). Several factors had consistent positive associations with fruit and vegetable consumption at lunch across 2 or more studies: increasing age, serving sliced fruits, serving vegetables first, allowing more time for eating, using incentives, using social marketing and/or nutrition education curricula, and using the updated nutrition standards. Only 10 studies used a randomized design. CONCLUSION: Although we found consistent evidence for some factors, we found conflicting or limited evidence for most, which points to the need for replication in future studies. The lack of randomized designs is a challenge, because it precludes the ability to draw conclusions about cause and effect. Our review may aid in framing practical aspects of the design of future research and in identifying an approach for a systematic review.

Association Between the Built Environment in School Neighborhoods With Physical Activity Among New York City Children, 2012.

INTRODUCTION: The benefits of physical activity for health and well-being are well established, yet built environment characteristics in the school neighborhood may constrain students' ability to engage in physical activity and contribute to the considerable variation in physical activity among students at different schools. METHODS: Baseline data from the Food, Health and Choices obesity prevention trial were used to create multilevel linear models of the relationship between fifth-grade students' (n = 952) physical activity and related psychosocial factors and characteristics of the built environment of the school's neighborhood (park access, public transportation density, total crime, and walkability), controlling for age and body mass index z scores. RESULTS: Total crime was inversely associated with boys' light physical activity duration (ß = -0.189; P = .02) and behavioral intention for physical activity (ß = -0.178; P = .03). Boys' habit strength for physical activity was positively associated with public transportation density (ß = 0.375; P = .02) and negatively associated with total crime (ß = -0.216; P = .01), explaining 67% of between-school variation. Girls' frequency of light physical activity was positively associated with park access (ß = 0.188; P = .04). Built environment characteristics explained 97% of the between-school variation in girls' self-efficacy in walking for exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Characteristics of the built environment surrounding schools were associated with and explain between-school variation in students' physical activity and several theory-based psychosocial factors. Partnerships between public health practitioners, policy makers, and school administrators may be warranted to shape the school neighborhood, specifically to decrease crime rates and increase park access, to encourage physical activity in youth.

Validation of a Questionnaire to Measure Fruits and Vegetables Selected and Consumed at School Lunch among Second- and Third-Grade Students.

BACKGROUND: Interventions designed to encourage fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption within schools are increasingly common. Thus, there is a need for valid, practical dietary assessment instruments to evaluate their effectiveness. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the validity of a group-administered, paper-and-pencil questionnaire to assess F/V selection and consumption at school lunch relative to digital photography. DESIGN: This was a five-phase, method-comparison study in which the questionnaire was iteratively modified between each phase. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: The study examined sets of questionnaires and photographs of lunch trays (n=1,213) collected on 44 days between May 2015 and June 2016 among second-grade students from three New York City schools (phases 1 to 4) and second- and third-grade students from 20 schools across eight states (phase 5). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcomes assessed were selection, amount eaten, preference, and intention to consume F/V. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Validity was assessed by percent agreement (categorized as "match, omission, or intrusion" for items on or off tray and "match, overestimation, or underestimation" for amount eaten), Spearman correlation coefficients, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). RESULTS: The total match rate for items on tray was substantial (phases 1 to 5: 83%, 84%, 92%, 93%, and 89%), with items more frequently intruded than omitted. For amounts eaten, the total match rates were moderate, but generally improved throughout the study (phases 1 to 5: 65%, 64%, 83%, 83%, and 76%), with overestimations more frequent than underestimations. There was good correspondence between methods in the estimates of amount eaten in a quantitative, cup equivalent amount (fruit ICC=0.61; vegetables ICC=0.64). Significant differences (α=.05) were not observed between second- and third-grade students, respectively, in the match rate for fruits (86% and 89%) or vegetable (89% and 86%) items on tray or fruit (69% and 73%) and vegetables (74% and 76%) amount eaten. Excellent correlations were observed between amount eaten and preference for fruit (r=0.91) and vegetables (r=0.93). CONCLUSIONS: The questionnaire offers a feasible, valid instrument for assessing F/V selection and consumption among elementary students in schools participating in the National School Lunch Program. Additional research is recommended to test the instrument's sensitivity and to reproduce these findings using an alternative reference method, such as direct observations.

Feasibility of a Grocery Store Tour for Parents and Their Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of a grocery store tour for parents and their adolescents being led by adults or adolescent peers. DESIGN: Randomized controlled pilot study with surveys at baseline and post-program, and at 3- and 6-month follow-up. SETTING: Midwestern midsized grocery stores. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-one parents and their 71 11- to 14-year-old adolescents. INTERVENTION: Nutrition education during 1 90-minute grocery store tour. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Process observations and participants' tour perceptions provided fidelity outcomes. Questionnaires quantitatively assessed participants' knowledge, self-efficacy, and tour strategy use. ANALYSIS: Chi-square and McNemar tests were used to analyze categorical data, and Kruskal-Wallis, Wilcoxon signed-rank, and Mann-Whitney U tests were employed for continuous variables (significance at P < .05). RESULTS: Over 90% of tour tasks were rated as completed well for adult and peer leaders. Participants had positive tour perceptions but noted deficiencies in teen leaders' knowledge and leadership skills. Overall, parents and adolescents retained increased self-efficacy from pre-tour to post-tour intervals. Despite limited knowledge retention, parents reported they had increased (6.5 ± 4.19) healthful grocery shopping behaviors in the 6 months after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Peers may feasibly lead grocery store tours but they may need additional resources and support to be highly effective.

Cost-effectiveness of a Nutrition Education Curriculum Intervention in Elementary Schools.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the long-term cost-effectiveness of an obesity prevention nutrition education curriculum (Food, Health, & Choices) as delivered to all New York City fifth-grade public school students over 1 year. METHODS: This study is a standard cost-effectiveness analysis from a societal perspective, with a 3% discount rate and a no-intervention comparator, as recommended by the US Panel on Cost-effectiveness in Health and Medicine. Costs of implementation, administration, and future obesity-related medical costs were included. Effectiveness was based on a cluster-randomized, controlled trial in 20 public schools during the 2012-2013 school year and linked to published estimates of childhood-to-adulthood body mass index trajectories using a decision analytic model. RESULTS: The Food, Health, & Choices intervention was estimated to cost $8,537,900 and result in 289 fewer males and 350 fewer females becoming obese (0.8% of New York City fifth-grade public school students), saving 1,599 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and $8,098,600 in direct medical costs. Food, Health, & Choices is predicted to be cost-effective at $275/QALY (95% confidence interval, -$2,576/QALY to $2,084/QALY) with estimates up to $6,029/QALY in sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This cost-effectiveness model suggests that a nutrition education curriculum in public schools is effective and cost-effective in reducing childhood obesity, consistent with the authors' hypothesis and previous literature. Future research should assess the feasibility and sustainability of scale-up.

Educating and training a workforce for nutrition in a post-2015 world.

Nearly all countries in the world today are burdened with malnutrition, manifesting as undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and/or overweight and obesity. Despite some progress, efforts to alleviate malnutrition are hampered by a shortage in number, skills, and geographic coverage, of a workforce for nutrition. Here, we report the findings of the Castel Gandolfo workshop, a convening of experts from diverse fields in March 2014 to consider how to develop the capacity of a global cadre of nutrition professionals for the post-2015 development era. Workshop participants identified several requirements for developing a workforce for nutrition, including an ability to work as part of a multisectoral team; communication, advocacy, and leadership skills to engage decision makers; and a set of technical skills to address future challenges for nutrition. Other opportunities were highlighted that could immediately contribute to capacity development, including the creation of a consortium to link global North and South universities, online training modules for middle managers, and practical, hands-on experiences for frontline nutrition workers. Institutional and organizational support is needed to enable workshop recommendations on education and training to be effectively implemented and sustained. The findings from the Castel Gandolfo workshop can contribute to the delivery of successful nutrition-relevant actions in the face of mounting external pressures and informing and attaining the forthcoming Sustainable Development Goals.