scholarly journals Dietary Intake and Lifestyle Habits of Children Aged 10–12 Years Enrolled in the School Lunch Program in Greece: A Cross Sectional Analysis

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 493
Author(s):  
Olga Malisova ◽  
Antonis Vlassopoulos ◽  
Aikaterini Kandyliari ◽  
Evaggelia Panagodimou ◽  
Maria Kapsokefalou
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
School Lunch ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
Lifestyle Habits ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
School Lunch Program ◽  
Lunch Program

School Lunch programs are a common strategy to address social inequalities in food access among children, especially food insecurity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the dietary intake and lifestyle habits of children aged 10–12 years enrolled in the School Lunch Program in Greece. A cross-sectional survey of fifth and sixth grade students, School Lunch recipients (n = 609) and control subjects (n = 736), collected data on sociodemographic, nutritional and lifestyle habits via self-reported questionnaires during May–October 2019. Despite enrollment in the School Lunch Program children in this group reported consuming less meals during the day (3.47 ± 1.38 vs. 3.65 ± 1.35, p = 0.002). No differences were seen in intakes of energy and macronutrients, however School Lunch recipients reported lower intakes of cereals/potatoes and legumes but higher fruit intake (2.32 ± 1.59 vs. 1.97 ± 1.72, p < 0.05). School Lunch recipients reported 42min/d and 28min/d higher screen-time during weekdays and weekends, respectively. Linear regression highlighted that dietary quality was not associated with School Lunch enrollment but rather sleep duration and screen time had a stronger influence on dietary habits. Enrollment in a School Lunch Program was linked to sustained differences in sedentary lifestyle habits but less so in dietary habits.

Distance from the nearest grocery stores and frequency of store-specific shopping are associated with dietary intake frequency among the community-dwelling independent elderly population

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 197-207
Author(s):  
Shinji Iizaka ◽  
Emiko Koitabashi ◽  
Takako Negishi ◽  
Aki Kawamura ◽  
Yuzuru Iizuka
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
Grocery Stores ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Suburban Cities

Background: Low accessibility to grocery stores may change dietary habits and increase health problems for elderly people living in communities. Aim: This study investigated whether the distance from the nearest grocery stores, including supermarkets, convenience stores, and drugstores, and the frequency of store-specific shopping were associated with dietary intake frequency among elderly people. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two towns of suburban cities. A total of 177 people aged ≥65 years were recruited ( M age=76.7 years). The frequency of intake of 10 food groups and dietary variety scores (DVS) were evaluated. Distances from the districts to the nearest grocery stores and the frequency of shopping during a week at each store were evaluated using a geographic information system. Results: For supermarkets, people living <300 metres from the nearest supermarket showed a higher intake frequency of fruit ( p=0.024) and oil/fat ( p=0.045), and those shopping three or more times a week showed a higher intake frequency of meat ( p=0.025). In the case of drugstores, people shopping one or more times a week showed a higher intake frequency of eggs ( p=0.006) and oil/fat ( p=0.048). People living <300 m from the nearest supermarkets ( p=0.048) and drugstores ( p=0.047) showed higher DVS than those living ≥500 m from the nearest supermarkets and drugstores. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that shopping at supermarkets and drugstores is associated with dietary intake frequency and dietary quality for elderly people living in suburban cities.

scholarly journals Variability in Dietary Quality of Elementary School Lunch Menus with Changes in National School Lunch Program Nutrition Standards

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kajal J Patel ◽  
Katie M Strait ◽  
Deana A Hildebrand ◽  
Lauren L Amaya ◽  
Jillian M Joyce
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Child Nutrition ◽  
School Lunch ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Healthy Eating Index ◽  
National School Lunch Program ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
School Lunch Program ◽  
National School ◽  
Lunch Program

ABSTRACT National School Lunch Program (NSLP) standards recently changed significantly. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) presumably improved the dietary quality (DQ) of meals, whereas Child Nutrition Program (CNP) Flexibilities appear to decrease DQ. This variability has not been quantified. Our objective was to determine differences in DQ between elementary school lunch menus meeting NSLP standards: School Meal Initiative (SMI), HHFKA, CNP Flexibilities, and evidence-based best practices (BP). A base menu was portioned per NSLP standards and analyzed for nutrient content and DQ. Statistical analyses included 1-factor ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis, and Dunnett's test. The BP menu had higher whole fruit and whole grain Healthy Eating Index scores than SMI (Ps &lt; 0.0083). The BP and HHFKA menus had higher refined grain and added sugars scores than SMI (Ps &lt; 0.0083). The SMI menu had lower total vegetable and saturated fat scores than all menus (Ps &lt; 0.0083). This study informs policy toward improving standards, positively affecting child health and academic performance through higher-DQ lunches.

National School Lunch Program Associated with Higher Dietary Quality

2018 ◽  
Vol 118 (9) ◽  
pp. A74
Author(s):  
M. Landry ◽  
F. Asigbee ◽  
E. Khazaee ◽  
S. Vandyousefi ◽  
R. Ghaddar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
School Lunch ◽  
National School Lunch Program ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
School Lunch Program ◽  
National School ◽  
Lunch Program

scholarly journals Variability in Dietary Quality of an Elementary School Lunch Menu with Changes in National School Lunch Program Nutrition Standards

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 1730-1730 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kajal Patel ◽  
Katie Strait ◽  
Deana Hildebrand ◽  
Lauren Amaya ◽  
Jillian Joyce
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
School Lunch ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Healthy Eating Index ◽  
National School Lunch Program ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
School Lunch Program ◽  
National School ◽  
Lunch Program ◽  
Nutrition Standards

Abstract Objectives There have been numerous changes to the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) nutrition standards over the past 10 years. The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA, 2010) presumably improved dietary quality (DQ) of reimbursable school meals from previous standards, while Child Nutrition Program Flexibilities (CNP Flexibilities, 2017) appear to decrease DQ. However, this variability in DQ has not been quantified. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine differences in nutrient content and DQ between elementary school lunch menus meeting recent NSLP nutrition standards, School Meal Initiatives (SMI, 1995), HHFKA (2012), and CNP Flexibilities (2017), as well as with evidence-based school lunch best practices implemented (BP). Methods A base menu, deemed typical by expert opinion, was portioned per three versions of NSLP nutrition standards (SMI, HHFKA, CNP Flexibilities) and BP for elementary schoolchildren, and analyzed for nutrient content and DQ using ESHA Food Processor and The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2015. Statistical analyses included one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, and Dunnett's test. The level of significance was set at P &lt; 0.0083. Results The BP menu had significantly higher whole fruit (317%) and whole grain (669%) HEI scores than the SMI menu. The BP and HHFKA menus had higher refined grain (156%) and added sugar (2%) HEI scores than the SMI menu. The SMI menu had lower total vegetable (49-50%) and saturated fat (43-51%) HEI scores compared to all other menus. Results were significant (ps &lt; 0.0083). Conclusions This study provides important information for guiding future policy towards further improving NSLP nutrition standards in their mission to provide healthy food to children, combatting malnutrition and obesity. Continuing to improve NSLP policy has the potential to impact the health, academic performance, and future of US children through higher DQ school lunches. Funding Sources None.

scholarly journals Social inequalities shape diet composition among urban Colombians: The Colombian Nutritional Profiles cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
Pedro J. Quiroga-Padilla ◽  
Paula V. Gaete ◽  
Luz D. Nieves-Barreto ◽  
Angélica Montaño ◽  
Eddy C. Betancourt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Education ◽  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Socioeconomic Position ◽  
Educational Level ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Saturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Nutrient Analysis ◽  
Food Composition Tables

Abstract Objective To explore the influence of socioeconomic position on habitual dietary intake in Colombian cities. Design We conducted a cross-sectional, population-based study in five Colombian cities. Dietary intake was assessed with a 157-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire previously developed for the Colombian population. Nutrient analysis was performed using national and international food composition tables. Socioeconomic position was assessed with two indicators: a government-defined, asset-based, household-level index called socioeconomic stratum (SES) and, among adults, highest educational level attained. Setting The five main urban centers of Colombia: Bogotá, Medellin, Barranquilla, Cali and Bucaramanga. Participants Probabilistic, multistage sample of 1865 participants (n=1491 for analyses on education). Results For both sexes, increasing SES was associated with a lower consumption of energy (p-trend <0.001 in both sexes), carbohydrates (p-trend ˂0.001 in both sexes), sodium (p-trend=0.005 in males, <0.001 in females), saturated fatty acids (p-trend <0.001 in both sexes) and among females, cholesterol (p-trend=0.002). More educated men consumed significantly less energy and carbohydrates (p-trend=0.036 and ˂0.001, respectively). Among men, intake of trans fats increased monotonically with educational level, being 21% higher among college graduates relative to those with only elementary education (p-trend=0.023). Among women, higher educational level was associated with higher MUFA intake (p-trend=0.027). Conclusions SES and educational level are strong correlates of the usual diet of urban Colombians. Economically deprived and less educated segments of society display dietary habits that make them vulnerable to chronic diseases and should be the primary target of public health nutrition policies.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Variability in Dietary Quality of School Lunches Meeting National School Lunch Program Guidelines by Socioeconomic Status and Rurality

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (21) ◽  
pp. 8012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jillian M. Joyce ◽  
Richard R. Rosenkranz ◽  
Sara K. Rosenkranz
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
School Lunch ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
National School Lunch Program ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
Low Ses ◽  
School Lunches ◽  
School Lunch Program ◽  
National School ◽  
Lunch Program

Research suggests that the dietary quality (DQ) of school lunches meeting the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) requirements may vary significantly. Possible drivers of variation include factors, such as socioeconomic status (SES) and rurality. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine whether there was variation in nutrient content and DQ by SES and rurality, when analyzing middle school lunch menus meeting NSLP requirements. A random sample of 45 Kansas middle school lunch menus each were obtained from websites of randomly selected districts from low- and high-SES strata. Thirty-day menus were analyzed for nutrient content. Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2015 scores were calculated for DQ. Rurality was determined for schools by National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) locale. There were significant differences in added sugar (p < 0.001) and calcium (p = 0.001) favoring high-SES menus, and in sodium (p = 0.001) favoring low-SES menus. There were no nutrient differences by rurality. The HEI scores were not different by SES or rurality, with a mean score (SD) 61.9 (2.6) across all schools. Middle school lunch DQ in Kansas does not vary by SES or rurality. Efforts to improve DQ should focus on all foodservice operations, not specifically low-SES or rural schools.

Dietary intake among under-, normal- and overweight 9- and 15-year-old Estonian and Swedish schoolchildren

2007 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inga Villa ◽  
Agneta Yngve ◽  
Eric Poortvliet ◽  
Andrej Grjibovski ◽  
Krystiine Liiv ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Meat Products ◽  
Food Group ◽  
Biological Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Total Food ◽  
Country Specific

AbstractObjectivesTo determine the differences in macronutrient and food group contribution to total food and energy intakes between Estonian and Swedish under-, normal- and overweight schoolchildren, and to estimate the association between diet and body mass index (BMI).DesignCross-sectional comparison between Estonian and Swedish children and adolescents of different BMI groups.SettingTwenty-five schools from one region in Estonia and 42 in two regions of central Sweden.SubjectsIn total 2308 participants (1176 from Estonia and 1132 from Sweden), including 1141 children with a mean age of 9.6 ± 0.5 years and 1167 adolescents with a mean age of 15.5 ± 0.6 years.ResultsOverweight was more prevalent among younger girls in Sweden (17.0 vs. 8.9%) and underweight among girls of both age groups in Estonia (7.9 vs. 3.5% in younger and 10.5 vs. 5.1% in older age group of girls). Compared with that of normal- and underweight peers, the diet of overweight Estonian children contained more energy as fat (36.8 vs. 31.7%) but less as carbohydrates, and they consumed more milk and meat products. Absolute BMI of Estonian participants was associated positively with energy consumption from eggs and negatively with energy consumption from sweets and sugar. Swedish overweight adolescents tended to consume more energy from protein and milk products. Risk of being overweight was positively associated with total energy intake and energy from fish or meat products. In both countries the association of overweight and biological factors (pubertal maturation, parental BMI) was stronger than with diet.ConclusionThe finding that differences in dietary intake between under-, normal- and overweight schoolchildren are country-specific suggests that local dietary habits should be considered in intervention projects addressing overweight.

Nutritional Improvements and Student Food Choices in a School Lunch Program

2007 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
CORBETT GRAINGER ◽  
BENJAMIN SENAUER ◽  
C. FORD RUNGE
Keyword(s):  
School Lunch ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
School Lunch Program ◽  
Lunch Program
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