Exploring strategies to increase school breakfast consumption in middle schools

描述（由申请人提供）：由于肥胖症的流行，学校的食品环境正在受到越来越多的审查。 然而，学校早餐（SB）往往被忽视。SB计划于1966年实施，旨在为符合条件的儿童提供免费或降价的早餐，以减少可能影响学习的饥饿。除了学习改善，SB消费还与更好的出勤率和课堂行为以及重要的健康益处有关。在儿童中，早餐的摄入量与较低的每日能量摄入量、血浆胆固醇水平和体重有关，这些是与降低糖尿病和其他慢性疾病风险有关的重要因素。 然而，参加SB方案的人数很少;在2002- 2003学年，只有42%的合格儿童接受SB，而且参加人数随着年龄的增长而下降。因此，本探索性研究的目的是探讨提高中学生SB参与的实施方法和推广策略，实施实施方法和推广策略，并获得参与率数据，以计算R 01应用的干预效果和样本量。在第一年，将与所有利益相关者进行焦点小组和访谈： 学生，家长，教师，学校管理人员和食品服务人员，以确定与SB交付相关的问题，并确定交付方法，营销策略和方法，以促进免费早餐计划。在第二年，选定的SB交付方法和推广方法将在三所干预学校实施和评估。将比较不同干预学校之间的参与率，并与一所对照学校和前一年的SB率数据进行比较。匿名早餐午餐记录将在早餐期间收集，以查看消费情况。一部分学生将在学年中完成4次24小时回忆，以了解膳食特定和膳食来源特定的饮食行为。还将收集和评估与学习和学校环境有关的结果数据（关于出勤率、考试成绩、迟到、纪律和护士访问的学校一级汇总数据），以及所有利益攸关方的过程数据和评价。提高SB参与可能是一个重要的公共卫生环境干预与显着的健康和学术成果。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): School food environments are coming under increased scrutiny because of the obesity epidemic. However, school breakfast (SB) is often overlooked. Implemented in 1966, the SB program was designed to provide free or reduced price breakfast for eligible children to reduce hunger that might impair learning. In addition to learning improvement, SB consumption has also been linked to better attendance and classroom behavior, and important health benefits. Among children, breakfast consumption was related to lower daily energy intake, plasma cholesterol levels, and body weight, important factors related to reduced risk for diabetes and other chronic diseases. However, participation in the SB program is low; only 42% of eligible children received SB in the 2002-03 school year, and participation declines with age. Therefore the goal of this exploratory study is to investigate delivery methods and promotional strategies to improve SB participation among middle school students, implement the delivery methods and promotional strategies, and obtain participation rate data needed to calculate intervention effect and sample size for an R01 application. In Year 1, focus groups and interviews will be conducted with all stakeholders: students, parents, teachers, school administrators, and food service staff to identify issues associated with SB delivery, and to identify delivery methods, marketing strategies and methods to promote the free breakfast program. In year 2, selected SB delivery methods and promotional methods will be implemented and evaluated in three intervention schools. Participation rates between the different intervention schools will be compared, and also compared to one control school and the previous year SB rate data. Anonymous breakfast lunch records will be collected during breakfast to look at consumption. A subset of students will complete 24-hour recalls on 4 occasions during the school year in order to look at meal specific and meals source specific dietary behaviors. Outcomes data related to learning and the school environment (aggregate school level data on attendance, test scores, tardiness, and discipline and nurse visits) will also be collected and evaluated, as well as process data and evaluations from all stakeholders. Improving SB participation may be an important public health environmental intervention with both significant health and academic outcomes.