Nutrition
Longitudinal Analysis of Food Insufficiency and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in the CARDIA study
Most previous studies on food insecurity and cardiovascular disease risk factors are cross-sectional. Without longitudinal data, it is unclear whether food insecurity precedes poor health and how exposure timing impacts these relationships.Calorie Labeling and Product Reformulation: A Longitudinal Analysis of Supermarket-Prepared Foods
The 2010 Affordable Care Act required chain retail food establishments, including supermarkets, to post calorie information for prepared (i.e., ready to eat) foods. Implementation of calorie labeling could spur companies to reduce the calorie content of prepared foods, but few studies have explored this. This study evaluates the changes in the calorie content of prepared foods at 2 large U.S. supermarket chains after they implemented calorie labels in April 2017.Marketing to Children Inside Quick Service Restaurants: Differences by Community Demographics
In the U.S., children regularly consume foods from quick-service restaurants, but little is known about the marketing strategies currently used inside quick-service restaurants. This study aims to validate a child-focused Environmental Assessment Tool for quick-service restaurants, evaluate marketing strategies inside and on the exterior of quick-service restaurants, and examine differences by community race/ethnicity or income.Supermarket Purchases Over the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefit Month: A Comparison Between Participants and Nonparticipants
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides financial assistance for food and beverage purchases to approximately 1 in 7 Americans, with benefits distributed once monthly. Most Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are spent early in the month, leading to decreased caloric intake later in the month. The effects of this early benefit depletion on the types of foods and beverages purchased over the course of the month is unclear.Association of Worksite Food Purchases and Employees’ Overall Dietary Quality and Health
Most Americans spend half their waking hours at work and consume food acquired there. The hypothesis was that the healthfulness of worksite food purchases was associated with employees’ overall diet and health.Food Security and 10-Year Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among U.S. Adults
Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of mortality in the U.S. Although the risk of cardiovascular disease can be mitigated substantially by following a healthy lifestyle, adhering to a healthy diet and other healthy behaviors are limited by reduced food security. This study aims to determine the association between food security and cardiovascular disease risk.100% Juice, Fruit, and Vegetable Intake Among Children in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children and Nonparticipants
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides monthly food packages to low-income children (aged 1–4 years) in the U.S., including 128 ounces of 100% fruit juice and an $8 cash value voucher for purchasing fruits and vegetables. The fruit juice allowance translates to 71%–107% of the maximum intake recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (4–6 ounces/day). Careful examination of WIC food package allocations is necessary because overconsumption of fruit juice among young children has been linked to weight gain and juice lacks important nutrients found in whole fruit (e.g., fiber).A School-Based Brand Marketing Program’s Adherence to Federal Nutrition Criteria
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 gave the U.S. Department of Agriculture authority to regulate school wellness policies, which include nutritional standards for foods advertised in schools. Brand marketing programs, which encourage students to purchase a company’s products in exchange for money or rewards, were not explicitly prohibited. This study assesses the nutritional quality of products participating in “Box Tops for Education” (“Box Tops”), one of the largest national brand marketing programs in schools.Transactions at a Northeastern Supermarket Chain: Differences by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Use
Although one in seven Americans receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, little is known about how these benefits for food are spent because individual-level sales data are not publicly available. The purpose of this study is to compare transactions made with and without SNAP benefits at a large regional supermarket chain.SNAP Participation and Diet-Sensitive Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Adolescents
Previous research suggests participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is associated with poorer adult cardiometabolic health; the extent to which these associations extend to adolescents is unknown. Differences in diet quality, obesity, and cardiometabolic risk factors were examined among SNAP participants, income-eligible nonparticipants, and higher-income adolescents.Improving the Nutritional Impact of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program:: Perspectives From the Participants
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest federal food assistance program designed to alleviate food insecurity and improve dietary intake. This study assessed the opinions of SNAP participants and food-insufficient nonparticipants on their perceptions of the program and strategies to improve its nutritional impact.Healthier Standards for School Meals and Snacks: Impact on School Food Revenues and Lunch Participation Rates
In 2012, the updated U.S. Department of Agriculture school meals standards and a competitive food law similar to the fully implemented version of the national Smart Snack standards went into effect in Massachusetts. This study evaluated the impact of these updated school meal standards and Massachusetts’ comprehensive competitive food standards on school food revenues and school lunch participation.Impact of the New U.S. Department of Agriculture School Meal Standards on Food Selection, Consumption, and Waste
The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently made substantial changes to the school meal standards. The media and public outcry have suggested that this has led to substantially more food waste.School Lunch Waste Among Middle School Students: Nutrients Consumed and Costs
The National School Lunch Program has been guided by modest nutrient standards, and the palatability of meals, which drives consumption, receives inadequate attention. School food waste can have important nutritional and cost implications for policymakers, students, and their families.
