The Impact of 1 Year of Healthier School Food Policies on Students' Diets During and Outside of the School Day

Abstract

Background: In 2012, Massachusetts implemented both the updated national school meal standards and comprehensive competitive food/beverage standards that closely align with current national requirements for school snacks.

Objectives: This study examines the impact of these combined standards on school meal and snack food selections, as well as food choices outside of school. In addition, this study examines the impact of these standards on nutrients consumed.

Design: The NOURISH (Nutrition Opportunities to Understand Reforms Involving Student Health) Study was an observational cohort study conducted among students from spring 2012 to spring 2013.

Participants/setting: One hundred sixty students in 12 middle schools and high schools in Massachusetts completed two 24-hour recalls before (spring 2012) and after implementation (spring 2013) of the updated standards.

Main outcome measures: Changes in school meals, competitive food, and after-school snack selection, as well as nutrients consumed outside of school were examined.

Statistical analyses performed: Logistic regression and mixed-model analysis of variance were used to examine food selection and consumption.

Results: After implementation, 13.6% more students chose a school meal (70.1% vs 56.5%; P=0.02). There were no differences in competitive food purchases but a significant decrease in the number of after-school unhealthy snacks consumed (0.69 [standard error=0.08] vs 1.02 [standard error=0.10]; P=0.009). During the entire day, students consumed, on average, 22 fewer grams of sugar daily after implementation compared with before implementation (86 g vs 108 g; P=0.002).

Conclusions: With the reduction in the number of unhealthy school snacks, significantly more students selected school meals. Students did not compensate for lack of unhealthy snacks in school by increased consumption of unhealthy snacks outside of school. This provides important new evidence that both national school meal and snack policies may improve daily diet quality and should remain strong.

Keywords: Adolescent; Competitive foods; Diet; Policy; School lunch.