Mathematica, 111 E Wacker Drive, Suite 3000, Chicago, IL 60601, USA.
USDA Economic Research Service, 355 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20024, USA.
Nutrients. 2021 Jan 22;13(2):307. doi: 10.3390/nu13020307.
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 updated the nutrition standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs (NSLP and SBP) and expanded universal free meals' availability in low-income schools. Past studies have shown that school meals are an important resource for children in food-insecure households. This analysis used data from the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study to classify students as food insecure (FI), marginally secure (MS), or food secure (FS). Diet quality from school and nonschool foods that students consumed was assessed using Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2010 scores. Chi-squared and two-tailed -tests were conducted to compare school meal participation, students' energy intakes, and diet quality across food security groups. FI and MS students were significantly more likely to participate in NSLP than FS students (79%, 71%, and 49%, respectively). SBP participation followed a similar pattern but was lower (38% FI, 33% MS, and 16% FS). Compared to FS students, FI and MS students more likely attended schools offering SBP, universal free meals, or afterschool snacks and suppers. School meals contributed significantly more energy to FI and MS students' diets than to FS students (22%, 20%, and 13%, respectively). All groups' dietary intakes from school foods were of higher quality than non-school foods. These findings highlight the role of school meals in meeting the energy and diet quality needs of FI and MS students.
2010 年《健康，无饥饿儿童法案》更新了国家学校午餐和学校早餐计划（NSLP 和 SBP）的营养标准，并扩大了在贫困学校普及免费餐的范围。过去的研究表明，学校餐食是食品不安全家庭儿童的重要资源。本分析使用学校营养和膳食成本研究的数据，将学生分为食品不安全（FI）、边缘安全（MS）或食品安全（FS）。学生食用的来自学校和非学校食品的饮食质量使用健康饮食指数（HEI）-2010 评分进行评估。采用卡方检验和双侧检验比较了食品保障组之间的学校餐参与度、学生的能量摄入量和饮食质量。FI 和 MS 学生参加 NSLP 的可能性明显高于 FS 学生（分别为 79%、71%和 49%）。SBP 参与情况也呈现类似模式，但参与率较低（FI 为 38%、MS 为 33%、FS 为 16%）。与 FS 学生相比，FI 和 MS 学生更有可能就读于提供 SBP、普及免费餐或课后零食和晚餐的学校。与 FS 学生相比，学校餐食为 FI 和 MS 学生的饮食提供了更多的能量（分别为 22%、20%和 13%）。所有组的学校食品摄入量均高于非学校食品。这些发现突出了学校餐食在满足 FI 和 MS 学生的能量和饮食质量需求方面的作用。
