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Cited by 191Obesity, Physical Activity, DietFood Security and Health in Diverse PopulationsNutrition, Health and Food Behavior

Nutritional Quality of the Diets of US Public School Children and the Role of the School Meal Programs

Clark, Melissa A., Fox, Mary Kay·2009·Journal of the American Dietetic Association
DOI 10.1016/j.jada.2008.10.060
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Abstract

Background Good nutrition is essential to healthy childhood. Because the school meal programs--the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program--are so widely available, they are in a unique position to influence the nutritional quality of children's diets.Objective This article assesses the nutritional quality of the diets of US public school children and explores the relationship between children's participation in the school meal programs and the nutritional quality of their diets.Design Data were collected as part of the third School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study (SNDA-III), a nationally representative study fielded during school year 2004-2005. Data on children's dietary intakes were collected through in-person 24-hour dietary recalls. Nutritional quality of children's diets was assessed by estimating the prevalence of inadequate and excessive intakes of energy and nutrients.Subjects/setting The analysis is based on a nationally representative sample of 2,314 children in grades 1 through 12 from 287 public schools.Statistical analyses performed Nutrient adequacy and excess were assessed by comparing usual nutrient intake distributions to Dietary Reference Intakes and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. Propensity score matching was used to examine the relationship between school meal program participation and the prevalence of inadequate and excessive intakes.Results The majority of public school children in the United States had nutritionally adequate diets, but 80% had excessive intakes of saturated fat and 92% had excessive intakes of sodium. School meal program participation was associated with reduced prevalence of nutrient inadequacy but with increased prevalence of excessive sodium intakes.Conclusions School meal programs play an important role in the nutritional adequacy of children's diets. However, the association between program participation and excessive sodium intakes, along with the high prevalence of excessive saturated fat intakes among all students, suggest areas for improvement in the meals these programs provide.

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  • Participation in school meal programs is associated with increased consumption of key micronutrients and important foods including fruits, vegetables, and low-fat milk.

    “Participation in school meal programs is associated with increased consumption of key micronutrients and important foods including fruits, vegetables, and low-fat milk.47,48”

    From Critical connections: health and academics (2015) · cites this paper as [47]

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Authors
Clark, M. A., & Fox, M. K.
Affiliations
Mathematica Policy Research (US)
Corresponding author
Clark, Melissa A.
ORCID
Venue
Journal of the American Dietetic Association
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2009-02
Volume
109
Issue
2
Pages
S44-S56
ISSN
0002-8223 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.jada.2008.10.060
OpenAlex
W2026358826
Cited by
189
References
23
Citations by year
2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 24 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 16
FWCI
20.41
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Journal of the American Dietetic Association (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • Mathematica Policy Research Reports (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
Keywords
school meals, National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, children's diet, diet quality, nutritional adequacy, nutrient excess, sodium intake, saturated fat intake, energy intake, public school children
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Energy Intake, Child, Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena, Child, Preschool, Diet, Dietary Fats, Female, Food Services, Humans, Male, Nutrition Surveys, Nutritional Requirements, Nutritive Value, Mental Recall, Schools, Sodium, Dietary, United States, Child Nutrition Disorders, Nutrition Policy

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