Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60608, USA.
J Sch Health. 2012 May;82(5):201-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1746-1561.2012.00688.x.
School district wellness policies designed to reduce obesity and promote student health and well-being often lack specific requirements or any mandate that schools comply with the policy. Researchers, educators, and policymakers have called for states to take an active role in shaping district policies. The objective of this study was to determine if states with strong school-based nutrition and physical activity (PA)-related policies have stronger district wellness policies, and explore the direction of policy diffusion between states and districts.
State policies and nationally representative samples of district policies for the 2006-2007 and 2008-2009 school years were obtained across 5 domains-competitive foods, school meals, nutrition education, physical education (PE), and PA-and were classified as "strong" or "weak," based on policy language, in each grade level (elementary, middle, high). Linear models estimated the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between state and district policies.
In 2006-2007 and 2008-2009, district elementary school competitive food policies were stronger in states with strong policies. For policies governing competitive foods in high schools and school meals at all grade levels, mean district policy strength increased from 2006-2007 to 2008-2009 in states with strong 2006-2007 policies. States that strengthened their PE policies from 2006-2007 to 2008-2009 saw an increase in mean district PE policy strength. Across all domains, states that had weak 2006-2007 policies and made no changes saw little increase in district policy strength.
District competitive food, school meal, and PE policies are stronger in states that have developed strong policies in these domains.
旨在减少肥胖、促进学生健康和幸福感的学区健康政策往往缺乏具体要求或任何强制学校遵守该政策的规定。研究人员、教育工作者和政策制定者呼吁各州在制定地区政策方面发挥积极作用。本研究的目的是确定在具有较强学校营养和体育活动（PA）相关政策的州，其地区健康政策是否更强，并探讨州与地区之间政策扩散的方向。
在 2006-2007 学年和 2008-2009 学年，通过 5 个领域（竞争性食品、学校膳食、营养教育、体育教育（PE）和 PA）获取了州政策和具有全国代表性的地区政策样本，并根据政策语言对每个年级（小学、中学、高中）的政策进行了“强”或“弱”分类。线性模型估计了州和地区政策之间的横断面和纵向关联。
在 2006-2007 学年和 2008-2009 学年，具有较强政策的州，其地区小学竞争性食品政策更强。对于高中和所有年级的学校膳食中管理竞争性食品的政策，在具有较强 2006-2007 年政策的州，从 2006-2007 年到 2008-2009 年，地区政策强度的平均值有所增加。从 2006-2007 年到 2008-2009 年，加强了体育教育政策的州，其地区体育教育政策强度的平均值有所增加。在所有领域，2006-2007 年政策较弱且没有变化的州，其地区政策强度几乎没有增加。
在这些领域制定了强有力政策的州，其地区竞争性食品、学校膳食和体育教育政策更强。
