284454
Impact of placing commercial kitchens in elementary schools on students' dietary intake
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
: 1:30 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.
Alexandra Evans, PhD,
Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, University of Texas School of Public Health, Austin Regional Campus, Austin, TX
Sherman Chow, MPH, MA,
Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, University of Texas School of Public Health, Austin Regional Campus, Austin
Nalini Ranjit, PhD,
Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, Dept. of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas School of Public Health, Austin, TX
Andrew E. Springer, DrPH,
Michael & Susan Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living, University of Texas School of Public Health, Austin, TX
Shelton Brown III, PhD,
Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, UT School of Public Health, Austin, TX
INTRODUCTION: Evaluation results of recent strategies to promote healthy eating at schools underscore the need for environmental changes to produce sustainable change. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an environmental strategy (the implementation of new commercial kitchen at an elementary school) on children's dietary behaviors, student satisfaction with school lunch, student preference for fruits and vegetables (F&V), student perceived social support to eat healthy at school, parent satisfaction with school lunch, and parent satisfaction with school in one elementary school serving low-income, mostly Hispanic children. METHODS: A pretest-posttest control group research design was utilized. Data were collected from 4th and 5th grade students at the intervention and control schools before implementation of the new commercial kitchen (Spring 2012) and 4 months after implementation of the kitchen (Fall 2012). Chi square and ANOVA analyses were used to compare the data from the two schools. RESULTS: Participants included mostly Hispanic children who participated in the National School Lunch Program (n=64 at intervention school and n=41 at control school). Results indicate a significant increase in the consumption of healthy foods, student satisfaction with school lunch (p<.05), parent satisfaction with their child's school lunch (p<.05), parent satisfaction with school (p<.05), F&V preferences (p<.05), student perceived social at school support (p<.05). CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that a move back towards scratch cooking at schools can have a beneficial effect on the consumption of healthier school lunches.
Learning Areas:
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Describe advantages of placing commercial kitchens into elementary schools
Describe how commercial kitchens and scratch cooking can affect students' dietary intake and their satisfaction with school lunch
Keyword(s): Food and Nutrition, School Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the principal investigator of this study and I have been conducting research in the area of environmental changes for health promotion for the past 10 years.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
