The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program provide nutritious meals to school-age children. USDA’s Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is designed to extend the reach of these programs by allowing schools in low-income areas to provide free school meals to all students at no cost to families. CEP has been shown to increase school meal participation, nutritional intake, academic achievement, and attendance in previous research studies. This study aims to examine the impact of long-term CEP participation on student weight outcomes. Nurse-measured height and weight data for school years 2013-14 to 2019-20 were collected from 141 K-12 public schools in four low-income cities. School-level prevalence of obesity was calculated from students’ heights and weights using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocol. CEP participation for each school year was obtained from the state Department of Education. Schools in the sample began participating in CEP at different times yielding varying numbers of years of CEP exposure over the study period. Multivariable analyses examined the relationship between school CEP exposure and the prevalence of obesity, controlling for school-level covariates. Multivariable analyses showed that for every additional year of CEP participation, the school-level prevalence of obesity was 0.4% lower (p=0.018). The regression-adjusted obesity prevalence for schools that never participated in CEP was 28.0%, while the obesity prevalence for schools with 6 years of CEP participation was 25.4%. The lower prevalence of obesity in CEP-participating schools was primarily driven by elementary schools. These results suggest that the benefits of CEP participation can cumulate over time, significantly reducing school-level obesity prevalence over time.

Objectives. The role of parents and caregivers is vital in promoting healthy eating habits among Hispanic adolescents. However, there are inconsistent findings on whether parental feeding practices are beneficial to their diet quality. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of parental feeding practices on adolescent dietary outcomes post-parenting intervention among Hispanic dyads. The present study is a secondary analysis using data from a randomized controlled trial testing the effect of a parenting intervention, Families Preparing the New Generation Plus (FPNG+), on adolescent dietary and substance use outcomes among sixth to seventh grade Hispanic students. Methods. A subsample of dyads (n=78) completed surveys to collect information on parental feeding practices and adolescent dietary outcomes at baseline (T1) and immediately post-FPNG+ intervention (T2). Parents (mean age of 39.7 years; 84.6% female) self-reported their use of parental control, pressure to eat, and food restriction parenting practices at T1. Adolescents (mean age of 12.3 years; 68.2% male) self-reported their consumption of fruits, vegetables, and sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) intake at both T1 and T2. Repeated measures ANOVA were employed to compare changes in adolescent dietary outcomes by each of the three parental feeding practices assessed. Results. Findings showed significant differences in changes in vegetable consumption between adolescents of parents who reported use of control (-0.69 cup equivalents/day; p = 0.018), compared to virtually unchanged vegetable intake among those of parents who reported not using control. There were also significant differences in vegetable intake by food restriction, with a decrease in intake among adolescents whose parents reported not using restriction (-0.65 cup equivalents per day; p = 0.021), compared to a virtually unchanged vegetable intake among the use of restriction group. Dietary outcomes of fruit and sugar from SSB intake were not statistically significant by use of any of the parental feeding practices studied. Conclusion. Findings showed that adolescents whose parents used control and food restriction did not have less favorable changes in vegetable intake compared to those of parents who did not use these practices. More research is needed to determine whether the use of parental feeding practices may be advantageous on the intake of fruits, vegetables, and SSBs among adolescents to advise effective parenting interventions and establish lasting healthy eating habits of Hispanic youth.

Food shopping practices are important in promoting healthy eating habits. Whereas previous behavioral interventions have assessed the effects of such interventions on parent and child health behaviors and quality, few have examined their impact on food shopping practices. This study used a randomized controlled trial design to investigate the efficacy of Athletes for Life (AFL), a 12-week community-based, family-focused intervention program that targeted physical activity and dietary behavior, on food shopping practices among Latino parents with elementary school-aged children. A total of 140 Latino adults were randomized to the AFL intervention or a wait-list control group. AFL included weekly sessions that focused on nutrition education, meal planning, grocery shopping, and physical activity. Participants completed surveys at baseline and after the 12-week program to assess their frequency of use of healthy food shopping practices (i.e., nutrition facts panel use, ingredients list use, grocery list utilization), and whether they refer to specific nutrients within the nutrition facts panel. Intervention effects on the frequency of use of food shopping practices were analyzed using a logistic binomial regression. Effects on consulting specific nutrients within the nutrition facts panel were analyzed using a Quade’s analysis of covariance. Results showed that there was a significant increase in the utilization of grocery lists (2.45±1.42 vs. 1.64±1.57, p=.011, F=6.664), nutrition facts panels (2.76±1.30 vs. 1.40±1.24, p=<.0001, F=47.128), and ingredients lists (2.79±1.26 vs. 1.58±1.51, p=<.0001, F=20.055) among the intervention group participants. Additionally, participants in the intervention group increased their use of nutrition facts panels to look up individual nutrients, particularly calories (OR=4.162, 95% CI=1.762-9.833, p=.009), carbohydrates (OR=7.889, 95% CI=2.136-29.137, p=.018), protein (OR=12.013, 95% CI=2.479-58.222, p=.018), and sodium (OR=4.247, 95% CI=1.624-11.105, p=.027), compared to baseline use. These findings demonstrate that the AFL intervention program was successful in implementing a positive change among parents, which will presumably allow parents to make improvements in their food shopping behaviors that may in turn have an effect on their home food environment and dietary intake among adults and children within the home.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a qualitative investigation to provide a baseline understanding of the typical experiences of food insecure college students and their understanding of what it means to be food insecure. Because of the stigma that is associated with food insecurity and emergency food resources, it may be difficult for students to discuss these topics openly with university administration or even with each other. For this reason, an asynchronous remote community allowed students to share their experiences anonymously. The narrative data collected in this study is meant to share the stories of students who live with the reality of food insecurity every day.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a qualitative investigation to provide a baseline understanding of the typical experiences of food insecure college students and their understanding of what it means to be food insecure. Because of the stigma that is associated with food insecurity and emergency food resources, it may be difficult for students to discuss these topics openly with university administration or even with each other. For this reason, an asynchronous remote community allowed students to share their experiences anonymously. The narrative data collected in this study is meant to share the stories of students who live with the reality of food insecurity every day.

Background: The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), as a federal nutrition assistance program, provides guidance and financial support to early childcare education centers (ECECs) who provide nutritious foods to children in care. Understanding factors that predict participating in CACFP is necessary to expanding CACFP reach. The purpose of this study was to assess center-level predictors of ECECs participating in CACFP in Arizona to guide state-wide recruitment efforts. Methods: This study analyzed data from ECECs in Arizona in 2020 (n=2228), sourcing data from the Arizona Department of Economic Services (Quality First rating (an Arizona-based score for quality of the ECE centers), accreditation Status, highest educational attainment, enrichment center status, and total licensed capacity), Arizona Department of Education (CACFP), Arizona Department of Health and Sanitation (SNAP-Ed participation), and the US Census. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between the predictors and participating in CACFP, adjusting for SNAP-Ed eligibility by census tract. Results: Centers had a significantly greater odds of participating in CACFP if they were an enrichment site (OR=5.9; 95% CI: 4.6, 7.5), had a Quality First rating (OR=2.5; 95% CI: 2.0, 3.0), and when the highest educational attainment by staff was a bachelor’s degree or higher (OR=1.4; 95% CI: 1.1, 1.7). Discussion: The findings support indicate that certain modifiable center-level factors were related to participation in CACFP. Findings may assist possible linkages with other state-level programs to improve the recruitment and retention of ECE centers to CACFP.