Nutrition Policies, Practices, and Environments in Low-Income Georgia Elementary Schools, United States, 2015-2017.
J Sch Health
; 90(4): 278-285, 2020 04.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31997370
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
A nutritious diet can prevent obesity and chronic disease and improve academic performance, yet many children have energy-dense, nutrient-poor diets. The objective of this study was to assess nutrition policies, practices, and environments in Georgia Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) elementary schools and compare them across school-level demographic characteristics.METHODS:
We distributed a cross-sectional online survey to administrators, grade level chairs, and nutrition managers from 113 Georgia SNAP-Ed elementary schools during 2015-2017. Logistic regression, one-way ANOVA, and Tukey's tests were performed to assess differences by free and reduced-price lunch eligibility and percentage black. Fisher's exact and Rao-Scott chi-square tests were performed to assess differences by school size and geography.RESULTS:
The majority of schools established wellness policies and committees, provided nutrition education, and offered fresh fruits and/or vegetables daily. Fewer schools had policies limiting sugar-sweetened foods within classrooms or had established a school garden. There were minimal significant differences in survey responses across school-level demographics.CONCLUSIONS:
Georgia SNAP-Ed elementary schools are providing healthy nutrition settings for their students in a number of areas, and can further improve by establishing more comprehensive wellness policies, a committee to enforce them, and engaging children in hands-on nutrition education activities.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Instituciones Académicas
/
Política Nutricional
/
Servicios de Alimentación
/
Dieta Saludable
Tipo de estudio:
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Humans
País como asunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Año:
2020
Tipo del documento:
Article