Student Perception of Healthfulness, School Lunch Healthfulness, and Participation in School Lunch: The Healthy Communities Study

Abstract

Objective: To increase understanding about healthfulness of school lunch and participation, this study measured 3 school lunch variables: students' perception of healthfulness, objective healthfulness, and participation and examined associations between each pair of variables (3 associations). Methods: Multilevel models were used for a secondary analysis of data from the Healthy Communities Study, a 2013-2015 observational study of schools (n=423) and children (n=5,106) from 130 U.S. communities. Results: Students who reported that school lunches were sometimes, often, or very often healthy ate school lunches more frequently per week (β=0.71, p<0.0001) than students who responded never or rarely. No associations were found with objective school lunch healthfulness. Conclusions and Implications: Student perception of healthfulness of school lunch is positively associated with participation, but not with objective school lunch healthfulness. Understanding how student perception is associated with participation can inform effective communications to students to increase participation in the school lunch program.

Purchasing Behavior, Setting, Pricing, Family: Determinants of School Lunch Participation

“…Thus, we confirmed school-and lunch-related factors as critical in deciding for or against school lunch participation, as found in a German nationwide survey [6,37]. This finding agrees with qualitative and quantitative American research showing that students' perceptions of food quality and school conditions, like long cafeteria lines and time constraints, are decisive regarding participation [19,21]. Finally, participants' parents were three times more likely to be satisfied with the school lunch than non-participants' parents, suggesting a strong dependence of parental perception regarding participation, which is in line with American research findings [20].…”

“…The third group of factors are personal or familyrelated conditions and behaviors (special diet, family eating behavior, disadvantaged background). Whereas the latter are elusive to interventions requiring willingness and endurance from the participants and their families, providing free school meals [2] or boosting the students' and parents' positive perception (healthy, timely, high-quality) of the school lunch might be effective [20][21][22]. These intervention approaches have a positive short-term impact on the students' health and well-being and have substantial long-term effects on students, particularly those from disadvantaged households [23].…”

Parental Perceptions of the Nutritional Quality of School Meals and Student Meal Participation: Before and After the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act

“…Because parental perception of nutritional quality of school meals is associated with student participation in school meals, keeping parents well informed about the improvements in the nutritional quality of school meals and how they can contribute to an overall healthy diet is crucial. Furthermore, improving students' perception of school meals can also help increase participation, through students' own food preferences 31,32 and how students communicate with their parents about school food options. 33 Participation in school meals is a necessary condition for the NSLP to achieve its mission of supporting a healthy diet for low-income students.…”

Diet Quality Is Lower for Those Who Skip Lunch Among a Sample of Predominantly Black Adolescents

“…Research suggests that if students and parents believe in the nutritional value of the meal, students are more likely to participate. 15,16 Nationally, trends in participation drop from elementary school to high school. 17 Findings from the School Nutrition & Meal Cost Study indicate that one of the major reasons for nonparticipation is that they don’t like the taste.…”