Pre/post study, combined with a qualitative evaluation using focus groups
Purpose:
The Ansonia Public Schools in received a grant to implement and evaluate a nutrition rating system to guide students’ cafeteria food selections and school food service purchases from vendors. The rating system used was the NuVal Nutritional Scoring System, which assigns a score of 1 to 100 to foods based on their overall nutritional value. The PRC provided technical support and evaluation services, which focused on whether educating students about NuVal and posting the scores next to cafeteria foods would lead to changes in school food purchases that reflect a trade-up to foods with higher nutritional value.
Further Study Details:
NuVal scores were posted for most menu items available to students in the cafeterias of all four schools (two elementary, 1 middle school, 1 high school), and also for vending machine items at the middle and high schools. The evaluation included pre- and post- intervention data, including the types of foods selected by students in the cafeteria line, and which foods they actually ate rather than discarded in the trash. Focus groups were also conducted with students to learn about their awareness, understanding, and reported use of the system.
Findings:
Data analyses did not reveal any significant impact of the intervention on students’ selection of entrees, drinks, or sandwich toppings. There was a small but significant increase in selection of side dishes in the lowest NuVal score quintile. Many food items in the school cafeterias, despite meeting federal and state nutrition guidelines, had NuVal scores that were relatively low, thereby limiting opportunities to choose higher-scoring items. Therefore, we did not expect to see substantial change in sales of foods according to their NuVal scores.
Eligibility:
Students in elementary, middle school, and high school in the Ansonia Public Schools
Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center