scholarly journals Choice Architecture in Appalachian High Schools: Evaluating and Improving Cafeteria Environments

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 147
Author(s):  
Melissa Olfert ◽  
Rebecca Hagedorn ◽  
Emily Clegg ◽  
Shannon Ackerman ◽  
Cheryl Brown
Keyword(s):  
High Schools ◽  
Behavioral Economics ◽  
Child Nutrition ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Nutrition Status ◽  
Video Observation ◽  
Choice Architecture ◽  
School Lunches ◽  
Child Nutrition Programs

School meals are a primary source of nutrition for many adolescents. Determining factors that influence the selection of various foods can provide insight on strategies to improve students’ cafeteria choices. This evaluation and observation was conducted at three Appalachian high schools to assess the cafeteria environment. The study developed and implemented an assessment tool created using principles of choice architecture and behavioral economics building on the work of the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (BEN Center). The assessment tool scored eight components of the lunchroom—the exterior, hot serving area, cold serving area, salad bar, beverage area, payment station, dining area and grab-n-go, where a higher score equals healthier components offered. High school (HS) #1 earned 73/128 points (57%), HS #2 earned 69/128 (54%), and HS #3 earned 53/102 (52%). HS #3 did not have a grab-n-go option and the final score was out of 102. Video observation was used to collect data on lunchroom activity during mealtimes. Each school received reports that highlight the results and suggest improvements to raise their score. The scoring tool represents a novel way to assess the health of school lunches, provide insights on how to improve the healthfulness of students’ lunch choice, and improve overall nutrition status.

scholarly journals Can Monitoring Make It Happen? An Assessment of How Reporting, Monitoring, and Evaluation Can Support Local Wellness Policy Implementation in US Schools

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 193
Author(s):  
Lindsey Turner ◽  
Yuka Asada ◽  
Julien Leider ◽  
Elizabeth Piekarz-Porter ◽  
Marlene Schwartz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Child Nutrition ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
School Nutrition ◽  
Wellness Policy ◽  
Cost Study ◽  
Child Nutrition Programs ◽  
Local Wellness Policy ◽  
Nationally Representative

US school districts participating in federal child nutrition programs are required to develop a local wellness policy (LWP). Each district is allowed flexibility in policy development, including the approaches used for policy reporting, monitoring, and evaluation (RME). The aim of this convergent mixed-methods study was to quantitatively examine RME provisions in policies among a nationally representative sample of districts in the 2014–2015 school year in order to examine whether policies were associated with RME practices in those districts, and to qualitatively examine perceived challenges to RME practices. Data were compiled through the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study and the National Wellness Policy Study. In multivariable regression models accounting for demographics, survey respondents were significantly more likely to report that their district had informed the public about LWP content and implementation, if there was a relevant policy provision in place. Having a strong policy (as compared to no policy) requiring evaluation was associated with reports that the district had indeed evaluated implementation. Having definitive/required provisions in policies was significantly associated with actual use of RME practices. RME activities are an important part of policy implementation, and these results show that policy provisions addressing RME activities must be written with strong language to require compliance. In interviews with 39 superintendents, many reported that RME activities are challenging, including difficulty determining how to monitor and show impact of their district’s wellness initiatives. Furthermore, the qualitative results highlighted the need for vetted tools that are freely available, widely used, and feasible for districts to use in assessing their progress toward meeting the goals in their LWPs.

Health Care for South Lebanon's Civilian Population Following the June 1982 War

1985 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-54
Author(s):  
T.H. Tulchinsky ◽  
Yakov Adler
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Child Nutrition ◽  
Renal Dialysis ◽  
Nutrition Status ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Dialysis Unit ◽  
Medical Needs ◽  
South Lebanon

AbstractFollowing the June 1982 war in South Lebanon, the Israel Ministry of Health sent a medical team to assess health conditions in the area, to assist in the restoration of local health services, and to provide additional medical assistance as needed in public health and specialized medical services. For the approximately 600,000 population of the area, public health sanitary conditions were restored by local authorities, with some external assistance. Sanitation and housing for the refugee camp populations were difficult to solve because of extensive damage in the camps; but United Nations activities, supported by international and Israeli sources, were effective. Epidemic conditions did not occur. Monitoring for specific infectious diseases showed increases not exceeding usual summer conditions. Child nutrition status was satisfactory. Medical needs for specialty services, not available in South Lebanon, were arranged through screening and referral to Israeli hospitals. Renal dialysis needs were met by establishing a dialysis unit using local personnel in a damaged and non-functioning government hospital. Private medical and hospital services, the bulk of health care in the area, functioned except for minor dislocations throughout the war and post-war period. Israeli medical aid, managed by a small multidisciplinary team, was designed to assist and, where necessary, augment rather than replace local health services.

scholarly journals Actively Involving Middle School Students in the Implementation of a Pilot of a Behavioral Economics–Based Lunchroom Intervention in Rural Schools

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 675-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natoshia M. Askelson ◽  
Patrick Brady ◽  
Grace Ryan ◽  
Cristian Meier ◽  
Cristina Ortiz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Economics ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Eating Behaviors ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Environmental Interventions ◽  
School Based ◽  
Service Staff ◽  
Policy Systems ◽  
Healthy Eating Behaviors

School-based interventions can play an important role in improving childhood and adolescent nutrition and preventing obesity. Schools offer a unique opportunity to implement policy, systems, and environmental interventions targeting healthy eating behaviors. An intervention was piloted in six middle schools featuring behavioral economics–based changes to the lunchroom, communication training, and communicate cues for food service staff. The pilot study employed a multicomponent evaluation with students and food service directors and staff including a lunchroom assessment, online surveys, production records, and interviews. Five schools increased their scores on the lunchroom assessment tool, and four schools increased the number of servings produced of healthy food items. Interviews with food service directors indicated the interventions was feasible and well received. School-based policy, systems, and environmental interventions targeting healthy eating behaviors may play a role in preventing obesity in children and adolescents.

scholarly journals District level child nutrition status in Bangladesh: An application of small area estimation method

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-61
Author(s):  
Mossamet Kamrun Nesa
Keyword(s):  
Small Area ◽  
Child Nutrition ◽  
Small Area Estimation ◽  
Estimation Method ◽  
Nutrition Status ◽  
Estimation Methods ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Demographic Health Survey ◽  
Area Estimation ◽  
National Surveys

National level indicators of child undernutrition often hide the real scenario across a country. In order to construct a child nutrition map, accurate estimates of undernutrition are required at very small spatial scales, typically the administrative units of a country or a region within a country. Although comprehensive data on child nutrition are collected in national surveys, the small scale estimates cannot be calculated using the standard estimation methods employed in national surveys, since such methods are designed to produce national or regional level estimates, and assume large samples. Small area estimation method has been widely used to find such micro-level estimates. Due to lack of unit level data, area level small area estimation methods (e.g., Fay-Herriot method) are widely used to calculate small-scale estimates. In Bangladesh, a few works have been done to estimate district level child nutrition status. The Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey covers all districts but district wise sample sizes are very small to get consistent estimates. In this paper, Fay-Herriot Model has been developed to calculate district wise estimates with efficient mean squared error. The Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey 2011 and Population Census 2011 are utilized for this study.

scholarly journals What influences the sustainability of community‐based child nutrition programs in the Peruvian highlands?

2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunny S Kim ◽  
Hilary Creed-Kanashiro ◽  
Rosario Bartolini ◽  
Mark A Constas ◽  
Jean-Pierre Habicht ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Child Nutrition ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Child Nutrition Programs ◽  
Nutrition Programs
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