Human and Clinical Nutrition Commons^™

The Role Of Programs And Policies In Shaping The Observed School Nutrition Environment And Rural Childhood Obesity, Shadai Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Childhood obesity is an ongoing public health concern that impacts many children in the United States. Research has shown that the prevalence of childhood obesity is higher in rural populations compared to non-rural populations. This may be attributable to differences in the school nutrition environment, particularly school meals and school wellness policy implementation. In order to design effective intervention targeted at weight management and obesity reduction, information regarding the school nutrition environment must be known. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to examine the school nutrition environment, particularly school lunch participation and weight outcomes between metro, non-metro and rural …