How Environmental Interventions Influence Behavior in School Lunchrooms

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Health Behavior; Child Behavior; Adolescent Behavior
• Interventions: Behavioral: USDA Regulations; Behavioral: Marketing Kit; Behavioral: Smarter Lunchrooms Makeover (SLM)

• Registration Number: NCT02091154
• Lead Sponsor: Cornell University

Brief Summary

The investigators hypothesize that the new United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations for lunches served as part of the National School Lunch Program will decrease the percentage of enrolled students purchasing lunch, increase the percentage of children taking fruit and vegetables, decrease the percentage of fruit and vegetable servings being thrown away, and increase the total number of fruit and vegetable servings eaten.

The investigators also hypothesize that when the regulations are in force, simple behavioral interventions can counteract the potentially negative impact on lunch sales and consumption. In other words, implementing the regulations and behavioral interventions together, the percentage of enrolled students taking a school lunch will increase at least back to baseline levels, the percentage of children taking fruits and vegetables will increase, the percentage of fruit and vegetable servings wasted will decrease, and the total number of fruit and vegetable servings eaten will increase.

Detailed Description

This study was conducted in 43 schools in the New York City (NYC) School district in the spring of 2012. The new regulations for school lunches were scheduled to roll out nationally in the fall of the same year, so this study was designed to provide an indication of the impact the new regulations would have.

In addition to the regulations, the investigators also tested additional behavioral interventions, in conjunction with the regulations, to determine how the behavioral interventions might offset, or magnify, the impacts of the regulations.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2012-03
• Primary Completion: 2012-05
• Study Completion: 2012-05
• Study First Submitted: 2014-03-03
• Study First Submitted QC: 2014-03-18
• Study First Posted: 2014-03-19
• Status Verified: 2022-01
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-01-24
• Last Update Posted: 2022-02-07

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 43

Inclusion Criteria

• Public schools with any combination of grades K-12

Exclusion Criteria

• No point of sale system in school
• Satellite school
• Feeder school

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: FACTORIAL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
USDA Regulations and Marketing Kit	Marketing Kit	Implement new USDA regulations in assigned schools along with the Marketing Kit during the intervention period.
USDA Regulations Only	USDA Regulations	Implement USDA Regulations in assigned school cafeterias during the intervention period.
USDA Regulations and SLM	Smarter Lunchrooms Makeover (SLM)	Implement USDA Regulations and Smarter Lunchrooms Makeover in assigned schools during intervention period.
USDA Regulations and Marketing Kit	USDA Regulations	Implement new USDA regulations in assigned schools along with the Marketing Kit during the intervention period.
USDA Regulations and SLM	USDA Regulations	Implement USDA Regulations and Smarter Lunchrooms Makeover in assigned schools during intervention period.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in percent fruit or vegetable waste by student	Six months	In the twelve schools, tray waste data were collected twice in April 2012 and once in May 2012. Results were generated and reported in September 2012.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in lunch sales	Six months	Lunch sales data were collected each school day in the 43 schools from March through May 2012. Results were generated and reported in September 2012.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

New York City School District; 🇺🇸 New York, New York, United States