The Strength of School Wellness Policies: One State’s Experience

Metos, Julie; Nanney, Marilyn S.

doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2007.00221.x

Cited by 64 publications

(95 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Also in contrast to previous studies, 16,19 nonpredominantly white schools had significantly lower wellness policy scores than those with predominantly white students. In part, this difference could be due to racially homogenous samples in previous studies compared to a nationally representative sample in the current study.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 84%

“…Previous studies 4,16,19,20 have found that schools or districts with lower SES, in urban settings, or with larger numbers of students had stronger wellness policies, but none of these associations was found in the current study. Also in contrast to previous studies, 16,19 nonpredominantly white schools had significantly lower wellness policy scores than those with predominantly white students.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 82%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[14][15][16][17][18] Stronger policies have been associated with lower SES, urban settings, and higher student enrollment. 4,16,19,20 To date, few studies have examined whether school wellness policies are associated with better competitive food and beverage environments. In one study 19 of public school districts in Connecticut in 2006-2007, stronger wellness policies were associated with more health-promoting practices (including nutrition and physical activity practices) after controlling for other factors including healthpromoting practices the previous year.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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School Wellness Policies and Foods and Beverages Available in Schools

Hood

Colabianchi

Terry‐McElrath

et al. 2013

American Journal of Preventive Medicine

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 84%

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 82%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

School Wellness Policies and Foods and Beverages Available in Schools

Hood

Colabianchi

Terry‐McElrath

et al. 2013

American Journal of Preventive Medicine

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“…School wellness policies mandated by the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 were to focus on nutritional guidelines, nutrition education, physical activity, and other school-based activities to support wellness. It is too early to determine the impact of such policies, but research from across the nation has already demonstrated a wide range in their strength and implementation (Belansky et al 2009;Metos and Nanney 2007;School Nutrition Association 2007). Programs providing additional support and resources to the key players at the school level and policy makers at the district level could enhance the formulation, interpretation, and enactment of such policies (Vardaman 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Assessing a novel application of web-based technology to support implementation of school wellness policies and prevent obesity

Wright

Okunbor

et al. 2010

Educ Inf Technol

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Childhood obesity is one of the most pressing public health concerns in the United States. Because schools are a critical site to promote wellness and prevent obesity, extensive policy and legislative efforts have focused on school-based food services, nutrition education, physical education, and overall physical activity. Unfortunately, research indicates that most of these policies prove ineffective due to insufficient implementation. A small number of web-based programs have emerged that are designed to support the implementation of school wellness policies. The purpose of the current study is to present and interpret findings from an evaluation of the web-based portion of a program implemented throughout the state of Pennsylvania. In total, 192 registered users completed a survey designed to evaluate their utilization and perceptions of the web-based features of the Health eTools for Schools program. Participants represented the following stakeholder groups: school nurses, teachers, wellness coordinators, administrators, and food service directors. Findings indicate the web-based portion of the Health eTools for Schools program is comprehensive, well-designed, and has the potential to support implementation of school wellness policies geared toward obesity prevention. At present, the webbased features are most effective in providing school nurses with tools and resources

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School-Based Suicide Prevention Laws in Action: A Nationwide Investigation of Principals’ Knowledge of and Adherence to State School-Based Suicide Prevention Laws

Smith-Millman

Flaspohler

2018

School Mental Health

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Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth aged 10-24 in the United States. In response to the high rate of youth suicide, the issue has gained national attention and, as a result, state governments have created legislation regarding youth suicide prevention. States hold the power to instruct their schools in how to address suicide prevention, but little research has explored the relationship between state laws about school-based suicide prevention and schools' actual practice of suicide prevention. The current study examined this relationship by surveying a nationally representative sample of high school principals to determine the answers to four primary research questions: (1) Do public high school principals in the United States know what their state's laws are regarding suicide prevention in schools?, (2) How is suicide prevention addressed in high schools across the United States? What do suicide prevention programs look like in practice, and do they align with the five best practices for suicide prevention set forth by Kalafat (2003): having policies and procedures in place for handling a suicidal student, providing student education, school staff training, community gatekeeper training, and parent training?, (3) Are there variables (i.e., principals' demographics, school characteristics, principals' attitudes toward suicide and suicide prevention, principals' history of suicide contacts) associated with principals' knowledge of state laws?, and (4) Are there variables (i.e., principals' demographics, school characteristics, principals' attitudes toward suicide and suicide prevention, principals' history of suicide contacts) associated with suicide prevention programs' comprehensiveness? Results indicated that only about 25% of principals (N=656) accurately identified their states' laws about suicide prevention in schools, and 66.1% reported that their schools' suicide prevention programs are in complete compliance with their states' laws. Overall, few differences emerged in principals' knowledge of state laws between states with more and less stringent laws. However, significant differences emerged when comparing the degree of program comprehensiveness depending on the stringency of states' laws such that principals in states with the most stringent laws reported having the most comprehensive suicide prevention programs. Few variables were significantly related to principals' knowledge of state laws. However, having funding, perceived support, student socioeconomic status, and having a student in their current school die by suicide were all significantly related to suicide prevention program comprehensiveness. Ultimately, these results suggest that laws can positively impact suicide prevention programming in school when they are required, funding and support are important for comprehensive programming, and having an incident of suicide in a school is associated with stronger suicide prevention programming. Implications for policy, practice, and research are discussed.

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The Strength of School Wellness Policies: One State’s Experience

Cited by 64 publications

References 10 publications

School Wellness Policies and Foods and Beverages Available in Schools

School Wellness Policies and Foods and Beverages Available in Schools

Assessing a novel application of web-based technology to support implementation of school wellness policies and prevent obesity

School-Based Suicide Prevention Laws in Action: A Nationwide Investigation of Principals’ Knowledge of and Adherence to State School-Based Suicide Prevention Laws

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