Abstract
Dietary intake among children in the United States falls short of national recommendations.
Schools can play an important role in improving children's preferences and food consumption
patterns. The US Department of Agriculture's Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)
aims to improve children's nutrient intake patterns by offering fresh fruits and vegetables
as snacks outside the reimbursable meals programs in elementary schools that serve
large numbers of low-income children. Using a nationally representative sample of
public elementary schools, this cross-sectional study investigated FFVP participation
patterns among schools by demographic and school characteristics. Further, the study
investigated the association between FFVP participation and availability of fresh
fruits, salads, and vegetables at lunch as reported by school administrators and foodservice
staff. Data collected via a mail-back survey from 620 public elementary schools participating
in the National School Lunch Program during 2009-2010 were analyzed. Almost 70% of
the FFVP-participating schools had a majority of students (>50%) eligible for free
and reduced-cost meals. Participating in US Department of Agriculture Team Nutrition
Program and having a registered dietitian or a nutritionist on staff were significantly
associated with FFVP participation. Based on the results from logistic regression
analyses schools participating in the FFVP were significantly more likely (odds ratio
2.07; 95% CI 1.12 to 3.53) to serve fresh fruit during lunch meals. Slightly >25%
of public elementary schools across the United States participated in the FFVP, and
participation was associated with healthier food availability in school lunches.
Keywords
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Biography
P. Ohri-Vachaspati is an associate professor of nutrition, School of Nutrition and Health Promotion, Arizona State University, Phoenix.
Biography
L. Turner is a senior research specialist, Health Policy Center, Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago.
Biography
F. J. Chaloupka is a distinguished professor of Economics and Public Health, and director, Health Policy Center, Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 23, 2012
Accepted:
February 22,
2012
Footnotes
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
FUNDING/SUPPORT Funding support for this project was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Identification
Copyright
© 2012 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
