A Rewards Program Contributing to Healthier Eating in Restaurants and Schools

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究将开发，实施和评估一个以餐馆为基础的激励计划，促进和奖励餐馆的健康饮食行为，同时为学校提供资金，以支持健身和更健康的午餐计划。该项目将对预防和控制儿童和成人肥胖症及其他与营养有关的疾病作出重要贡献。这是有史以来第一次研究如何利用学校的激励措施来增加儿童和家庭的健康行为。该提案建立在先前授予申请公司健康饮食的SBIR赠款的基础上，由CDC和NIH资助。奖励计划的目标包括：1）在加州圣巴巴拉的三到五所地区学校和三到五家连锁餐厅开展试点研究（第一阶段），2）将奖励计划扩大到整个加州和另外三个州的学校和餐厅（第二阶段），最终3）制定战略，在全国范围内扩大奖励计划（第三阶段）。一个“品尝盛会”启动活动将推出该计划的利益相关者（校长，管理人员，教师等）。学校领导将透过学校的沟通渠道向儿童及家长推广奖励计划。在全国范围内长期实施这一奖励计划将产生大量资金，以帮助支持学校健身和更健康的午餐计划。此外，这项提案有可能大大改善我国家庭的健康，因为它将激励餐馆提供和选择更健康的选择。 公共卫生相关性：通过激励当地餐馆提供和推广健康儿童的选择，以及学校向儿童和家庭推广这些选择，该项目将刺激餐馆提供和选择更健康的儿童菜单。一个相关的好处是，资金将捐赠给学校的健康饮食和健身计划时，更健康的孩子的选择购买。因此，儿童将选择热量、脂肪、饱和脂肪和钠含量较低的菜单，从而降低肥胖、心脏病、癌症和糖尿病等营养相关疾病的风险。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This research will develop, implement and evaluate a restaurant-based incentive program that promotes and rewards healthy eating behaviors in restaurants and at the same time, provides funding to schools to support fitness and healthier lunch programs. This project will make an important contribution to the prevention and control of obesity and other nutrition-related diseases in both children and adults. It represents the first study ever to explore the use of incentives to schools as a vehicle for increasing healthful behaviors of children and families. This proposal builds upon previous SBIR grants awarded to the applicant company, HEALTHY DINING, funded by both the CDC and NIH. The goals of the REWARDS PROGRAM include: 1) conducting a pilot study with three to five regional schools and three to five restaurant chains located in Santa Barbara, California (Phase I), 2) expanding the REWARDS PROGRAM to schools and restaurants throughout California and three additional states (Phase II) and ultimately 3) developing strategies to expand the PROGRAM nationwide (Phase III). A "tasting extravaganza" kick-off event will launch the program to stakeholders (principals, administrators, teachers, etc.). School leaders will be tapped to promote the REWARDS PROGRAM to both children and parents through the schools' communication channels. Long term implementation of this REWARDS PROGRAM nationwide will result in significant funding being generated to help support school fitness and healthier lunch programs. Additionally, this proposal has the potential to significantly improve the health of our nation's families, as it will incentivize the availability and selection of healthier choices at restaurants. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: By incentivizing local restaurants to offer and promote healthy kids' options and schools to promote these options to kids and families, this project will spur the availability and selection of healthier kids' menu options in restaurants. A related benefit is that funds will be donated to schools for healthy eating and fitness programs when the healthier kids' selections are purchased. As a result, children will be selecting menu items that are lower in calories, fat, saturated fat and sodium, leading to reduced risks of such nutrition-related conditions as obesity, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.