Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7000, Australia.
Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
Nutrients. 2024 Oct 6;16(19):3393. doi: 10.3390/nu16193393.
During 2022-2023, the School Lunch Project (SLP) provided free nutritious cooked lunches 1-4 days per week to Kinder to Grade 10 students attending 30 schools in areas of high disadvantage in Tasmania, Australia. This analysis examined if the SLP was associated with student attendance. : Staff (teachers, support staff, and principals) from 12 schools completed an online survey and/or participated in focus groups/interviews. Government-held, objectively measured, grade-level attendance data were provided for 17 SLP and 11 matched comparison schools for 2018-2023. Linear mixed models compared attendance on school lunch and non-school lunch days in SLP schools. Difference-in-difference regression compared attendance between SLP and comparison schools. Qualitative data were analysed thematically. : Sixty-five staff completed surveys, where 22% reported that increased attendance was a benefit of the SLP. Similar findings were observed in the staff focus groups/interviews (N = 51). Mean attendance was similar on school lunch and non-school lunch days among the SLP schools during 2022 (difference: 0.04, 95% CI: -0.5, 0.6) and 2023 (difference 0.1, 95% CI: -0.2, 0.4) and similar between SLP and comparison schools (average treatment effect in the treated: 1.2, 95% CI: -0.7, 3.0). : The SLP was perceived by some staff to improve attendance but was not associated with objectively measured attendance examined at the grade level.
在 2022-2023 年期间，学校午餐计划（SLP）为澳大利亚塔斯马尼亚高贫困地区的 30 所学校的幼儿园至 10 年级学生每周提供 1-4 天的免费营养热午餐。本分析研究了 SLP 是否与学生出勤率有关。：来自 12 所学校的工作人员（教师、支持人员和校长）完成了在线调查和/或参加了焦点小组/访谈。为 2018-2023 年的 17 所 SLP 学校和 11 所匹配的对照学校提供了政府持有的、客观衡量的年级出勤率数据。线性混合模型比较了 SLP 学校在有学校午餐和无学校午餐日的出勤率。差异-差异回归比较了 SLP 和对照学校之间的出勤率。对定性数据进行了主题分析。：共有 65 名工作人员完成了调查，其中 22%的人报告说，增加出勤率是 SLP 的一个好处。在工作人员焦点小组/访谈（N=51）中也观察到了类似的发现。在 2022 年（差异：0.04，95%CI：-0.5，0.6）和 2023 年（差异 0.1，95%CI：-0.2，0.4）期间，SLP 学校的午餐日和非午餐日的平均出勤率相似，并且在 SLP 和对照学校之间也相似（处理组的平均治疗效果：1.2，95%CI：-0.7，3.0）。：一些工作人员认为 SLP 提高了出勤率，但与在年级水平上进行的客观测量的出勤率无关。
