Chen Yuyi, Hager Erin R, Gross Julia, Gross Susan M
Graduate Group in Nutritional Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Nutrients. 2025 Jun 20;17(13):2055. doi: 10.3390/nu17132055.
Food insecurity and poor diet quality disproportionately affect U.S. children from low-income households, with summer school closures exacerbating risks. Federally funded programs like the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and SUN Bucks (Summer EBT) aim to address these challenges, yet evidence of their post-pandemic dietary impact remains limited. This study examines the relationship between policy innovations, summer meal participation, food insecurity, and diet quality among children from low-income households in Prince George's County, Maryland. A cross-sectional design analyzed data from 158 households in Prince George's County Public Schools across two waves (early fall 2022 and 2023). Validated tools (USDA's Six-Item Short Form and Dietary Screener Questionnaire) assessed food security and diet quality. Sociodemographic factors, program participation, and dietary deviations from the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression identified determinants of poor diet quality (≥2 guideline deviations), adjusting for ethnicity, age, and housing stability. Only 32.28% of eligible households participated in summer meal programs, with non-participation driven by lack of awareness (53.68%) and transportation barriers (11.58%). Significant dietary gaps included inadequate whole grain intake (0.8 vs. 3.0 servings/day) and excessive added sugars (14% of daily calories). Summer meal participation was associated with reduced odds of poor diet quality (OR = 0.23, = 0.030), while older age (OR = 52.97, < 0.001) and very low food security (OR = 8.42, = 0.036) increased risk. Hispanic ethnicity had lower odds (OR = 0.17, = 0.019) despite higher baseline food insecurity. : Summer meal participation was associated with improved dietary outcomes but faced systemic participation barriers. Findings support policy reforms, such as multilingual outreach and mobile meal distribution, to address identified gaps.
粮食不安全和不良饮食质量对美国低收入家庭儿童的影响尤为严重，暑期学校关闭加剧了这些风险。联邦资助项目，如暑期食品服务计划（SFSP）和暑期电子福利转账（SUN Bucks），旨在应对这些挑战，但它们在疫情后对饮食影响的证据仍然有限。本研究考察了马里兰州乔治王子县低收入家庭儿童的政策创新、暑期膳食参与、粮食不安全和饮食质量之间的关系。采用横断面设计，分析了乔治王子县公立学校158户家庭两期（2022年秋初和2023年）的数据。使用经过验证的工具（美国农业部的六项简表和膳食筛查问卷）评估粮食安全和饮食质量。分析了社会人口学因素、项目参与情况以及与《2020 - 2025年膳食指南》的饮食偏差。多变量逻辑回归确定了不良饮食质量（≥2项指南偏差）的决定因素，并对种族、年龄和住房稳定性进行了调整。只有32.28%的符合条件家庭参与了暑期膳食计划，不参与的原因主要是缺乏认知（53.68%）和交通障碍（11.58%）。显著的饮食差距包括全谷物摄入量不足（每天0.8份对3.0份）和添加糖过量（占每日卡路里的14%）。参与暑期膳食计划与不良饮食质量几率降低相关（比值比 = 0.23，P = 0.030），而年龄较大（比值比 = 52.97，P < 0.001）和粮食安全程度极低（比值比 = 8.42，P = 0.036）会增加风险。尽管基线粮食不安全程度较高，但西班牙裔种族的风险几率较低（比值比 = 0.17，P = 0.019）。结论：参与暑期膳食计划与改善饮食结果相关，但面临系统性参与障碍。研究结果支持政策改革，如多语言宣传和流动膳食配送，以解决已发现的差距。
