Title: Schools Show Improved Healthy Eating Policies and Practices When Families and Community Members are Involved in the Development of School Wellness Policies

Author: Marilyn S. Nanney PhD, MPH, RD, interviewed by Sara Coulter MPH, RD

Section/SPIG: Food and Nutrition

Issue Date:

Recent changes, driven by the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010, require schools to involve family and community members in the development, implementation and review of school wellness policies. Requiring these additional stakeholders to be at the table during policy formation has been shown to positively impact healthy eating practices in schools. Sara Coulter, FNS newsletter guest editor, corresponded with Dr. Marilyn S. Nanney to find out how far reaching these changes may be. Dr. Nanney conducts school food policy and environment research at the University of Minnesota.

SC: Previous to the change, how many U.S. schools involved student family and community members in the development and implementation of school wellness policies?

MN: Using survey responses from 28 U.S. states representing 6,732 secondary schools on the 2008 School Health Profiles Survey we found that:
  • 46 percent of schools involved neither students’ families nor community members.
  • 37 percent of schools reported involving both students’ families and community members.
  • 10 percent involved community only.
  •  7 percent involved family only.

Town/rural schools and schools with lowest minority enrollment have higher rates of family and community involvement.

SC: Was there a difference between the healthy eating policies and practices when student families and community members were involved?

MN: Looking at the majority of healthy eating policies and practices in schools, it is clear that family involvement alone and with community involvement is associated with having more healthy eating policies. We grouped like policies together and found that policies related to the availability of less healthy snacks and engagement in healthy eating strategies were significantly better among schools with family only or family and community involvement.

Family involvement was significantly associated with higher rates of having fruits and vegetables available in school vending and offering fruits and vegetables at school celebrations. Neither family nor community involvement was significantly associated with positive marketing or only healthy vending policies.

SC: In summary, what do you think about the changes?

MN: I think the changes are a step in the right direction. Efforts to include family and community members are beneficial, but this is only one piece of the food environment that impacts the food choices that students and their families make every day.