Assessing the Implementation of US Programs and Policies for the Prevention of Food Insecurity and Obesity in Schools

饥饿安全网在帮助减轻五分之一的美国儿童的饥饿方面发挥着重要作用， 经历粮食不安全。从历史上看，粮食援助计划的重点是确保儿童 获得足够的热量，而不一定是所提供食物的营养质量。但在 对于同一人群中粮食不安全和肥胖风险的共存， 越来越重视通过同时促进粮食安全和预防肥胖举措， 获取和营养。战略设计和执行政策和方案干预措施， 因此，儿童的粮食不安全和营养都是当务之急，必须确保粮食安全， 但这并不会造成健康差距。粮食安全和营养倡议的协调一致也可以 更好地利用有限的公共卫生资源，以最大限度地提高卫生成果的效益。 拟议的项目考虑如何改进儿童营养和食品倡议的执行情况 学校的安全。目标1量化了实现支持之间的关系（例如，培训和 设备）和学校膳食质量，使用全国代表性的学校样本。这项工作探讨 更好的实施是否有助于协助学校采用膳食营养标准 与2010年《健康无饥饿儿童法》相关的儿童营养计划改善了膳食的营养质量。 aim 2利用全国具有代表性的公立学校样本， 广泛使用的解决学校粮食不安全问题的方案：周末背包方案。这些程序 为符合收入条件的学生提供食物，以便在星期五带回家;然而，它们不是基于 对粮食安全和营养影响的科学证据和现有证据基础的依赖性非常大， 有限公司这项工作将收集周末背包计划的信息，包括流行率数据， 营养质量和其他特征，以确定实施因素是否与更多 有营养的食物。调查结果可能有助于确定改进方案设计、执行和 营养影响。目标3将探讨周末背包的营养质量的潜在差异 按美国地区、城市化程度和贫困程度划分的计划内容。这项工作将确定某些人群 参与可能导致营养不良的低质量项目的风险可能不成比例 健康差距。调查结果可能有助于促进公平采用方案。 这项研究将通过我的赞助商的承诺指导，从我的论文指导， 咨询委员会，并从机构环境和超越充足的教育资源。我也会 通过课程、研讨会、会议、网络研讨会和会议参与培训和教育。

The hunger safety net plays an important role in helping to alleviate hunger for the one in five US children who experiences food insecurity. Historically, food assistance programs have focused on ensuring that children have sufficient access to calories and not necessarily the nutritional quality of food provided. However, in response to the coexistence of food insecurity and the risk of obesity within the same populations, there is a growing emphasis on aligning food security and obesity prevention initiatives by simultaneously promoting food access and nutrition. Strategic design and implementation of policy and program interventions that address both food insecurity and nutrition for children are therefore imperative to make certain that the food being provided does not contribute to health disparities. Alignment of food security and nutrition initiatives can also make better use of limited public health resources for maximum benefits to health outcomes. The proposed project considers how to improve the implementation of initiatives for child nutrition and food security in schools. Aim 1 quantifies the relationship between implementation supports (e.g., training and equipment) and school meal quality using a nationally representative sample of schools. This work explores whether better implementation supports for assisting schools in adoption of the nutrition standards for meals associated with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 resulted in improved nutritional quality of meals. Using a nationally representative sample of public schools, aim 2 gathers information on an understudied, yet widely used, program to address food insecurity in schools: weekend backpack programs. These programs provide income-eligible students with food to take home on Fridays; however, they were not designed based on scientific evidence and the existing evidence-base for impact on food security and nutrition is extremely limited. This work will collect information on weekend backpack programs including data on prevalence, nutritional quality and other characteristics to determine if implementation factors are associated with more nutritious offerings. Findings may help to identify ways to improve program design, implementation and nutritional impact. Aim 3 will explore potential disparities in the nutritional quality of weekend backpack program contents by US region, urbanicity, and poverty-level. This work will determine if certain populations may be at disproportionate risk for participating in low quality programs that could contribute to poor nutrition and health disparities. Findings may help to promote equitable adoption of programs. The research will be achieved through committed mentorship of my sponsors, guidance from my dissertation advisory committee, and ample educational resources from the institutional environment and beyond. I will also participate in training and education through courses, seminars, meetings, webinars, and conferences.