Let Them Eat Lunch: The Impact of Universal Free Meals on Student Performance

Children need healthy and balanced meals to perform well in school. Universal Free Meal programs improve English and Math test scores and may even reduce obesity among middle school students. District and school leaders nationwide should consider adopting this program

Children\u27s Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables: Do School Environment and Policies Affect Choices at School and Away from School?

School environment and policies may affect children\u27s ability to make healthy food choices both at and away from school. Using data from the third School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study conducted in 2005 we estimate the effect of environment and policies on children\u27s fruit and vegetable intakes. We use an instrumental variable approach to control for the endogeneity of participation in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). On an average school day, school lunch participants consume more fruits and vegetables, including relatively more at school and less away from school compared to nonparticipants. Meal policies had little effect on NSLP participation itself. Policies that restrict high fat milks or desserts and restrict the sale of competitive foods are associated with greater fruit and/or vegetable intake at school; some policies affected consumption at home as well

Did Revisions to the WIC Program Affect Household Expenditures on Whole Grains?

The food packages provided by the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program changed in 2009. This article examines purchases of whole grain products before and after the change. Nielsen Homescan panel data from 2008 to 2010 provide information on households’ food purchases, demographics, and self-reported WIC participation status. We estimate the effect of WIC participation and the 2009 package change on whole grains purchases using a difference-in-difference method, and find that participation in the WIC program was associated with more whole grain purchases during the observed period; the package change in 2009 roughly doubled the associated effect of WIC participation on the purchases of whole grain products. These results are consistent with recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and suggest that moderate innovations in the design of food assistance programs can lead to beneficial dietary choices

Dietary diversity score is a useful indicator of micronutrient intake in non-breastfeeding Filippino children

Micronutrient malnutrition remains a problem of public health concern in most developing countries, partly due to monotonous, cereal-based diets that lack diversity. The study objective was to assess whether dietary diversity score (DDS) based on a simple count of food groups consumed and DDS using a 10-g minimum intake for each food group (DDS 10g) are good indicators of adequate micronutrient intake in 24–71-mo-old non-breast-feeding Filipino children. Pearson’s correlation and linear regression were used to assess the utility of DDS and DDS 10g as indicators of micronutrient intake. Sensitivity and specificity analysis were used to determine the most appropriate cut-off point for using DDS to categorize children with high probability of adequate micronutrient intake. The average diet of the sample population consisted of 4–5 food groups. The mean probability of adequate nutrient intake (MPA) of 11 micronutrients was 33%. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient between MPA and DDS was 0.36 (P , 0.001) and for DDS 10g it increased to 0.44 (P , 0.001). Intake of individual micronutrients was correlated to DDS for most nutrients. When maximizing sensitivity and specificity, the best cut-off points for achieving 50 and 75% probability of adequate micronutrient intake were 5 and 6 food groups, respectively. DDS and DDS 10g were both significant predictors of adequate micronutrient intake. This study demonstrates the utility of indicators of dietary diversity to predict adequate intake of micronutrients in the diets of young non-breast-feeding childre

Objective, Subjective, and Self-Assessment of Preadolescent Orthodontic Treatment Need – A Function of Age, Gender, and Ethnic/Racial Background?

Children from socioeconomically disadvantaged and/or underrepresented minority backgrounds in the United States have limited or no access to orthodontic treatment. Objectives: To determine whether preadolescents' (a) objectively assessed orthodontic treatment need; (b) subjectively assessed orthodontic treatment need; and (c) self-perceptions of the psychologic aspects of their oral health-related quality of life and desire to have braces vary as a function of age, gender, ethnicity/race, and socioeconomic status (SES). Methods: Data were collected from 1,566 preadolescents (age range: 8 to 11 years; 47.3 percent male/52.7 percent female; 55.7 percent African-American/39.7 percent White/2.9 percent Hispanic) in oral exams and in face to face interviews. Malocclusion was determined with the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need. Results: Children (17.2 percent) had definite treatment need, 33.7 percent were borderline, and 49.1 percent had little or no need. Objectively and subjectively assessed treatment need was not affected by the children's age or gender. However, girls were more critical of their smiles and wanted braces more than boys. The older the children were, the more critical they were and the more they wanted braces. African-American children and children in schools with higher percentages of children on free school lunches had less treatment need than White children and children in schools with lower percentages of students with free school lunches. While the provider-assessed treatment need was higher for White children than for Black children, Black children were less happy with their smiles than White children, and wanted braces more than White children. SES did not affect the children's self-perceptions. Conclusions: Findings showed that substantial percentages of the preadolescents have an orthodontic treatment need. Orthodontic need and child self-perceptions varied as a function of the children's age, gender, ethnicity/race, and SES.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65150/1/j.1752-7325.2008.00089.x.pd

Development of a competency model for placement and verification of nasogastric and nasoenteric feeding tubes for adult hospitalized patients

Nasogastric/nasoenteric (NG/NE) feeding tube placements are associated with adverse events and, without proper training, can lead to devastating and significant patient harm related to misplacement. Safe feeding tube placement practices and verification are critical. There are many procedures and techniques for placement and verification; this paper provides an overview and update of techniques to guide practitioners in making clinical decisions. Regardless of placement technique and verification practices employed, it is essential that training and competency are maintained and documented for all clinicians placing NG/NE feeding tubes. This paper has been approved by the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) Board of Directors.Published versio

Back to the Roots : Revisiting the Use of the Fiber-Rich Cichorium intybus L. Taproots

Fibers are increasingly recognized as an indispensable part of our diet and vital for maintaining health. Notably, complex mixtures of fibers have been found to improve metabolic health. Following an analysis of the fiber content of plant-based products, we found the taproot of the chicory plant (Cichorium intybus L) to be 1 of the vegetables with the highest fiber content, comprising nearly 90% of its dry weight. Chicory roots consist of a mixture of inulin, pectin, and (hemi-)cellulose and also contain complex phytochemicals, such as sesquiterpene lactones that have been characterized in detail. Nowaday, chicory roots are mainly applied as a source for the extraction of inulin, which is used as prebiotic fiber and food ingredient. Chicory roots, however, have long been consumed as a vegetable by humans. The whole root has been used for thousands of years for nutritional, medicinal, and other purposes, and it is still used in traditional dishes in various parts of the world. Here, we summarize the composition of chicory roots to explain their historic success in the human diet. We revisit the intake of chicory roots by humans and describe the different types of use along with their various methods of preparation. Hereby, we focus on the whole root in its complex, natural form, as well as in relation to its constituents, and discuss aspects regarding legal regulation and the safety of chicory root extracts for human consumption. Finally, we provide an overview of the current and future applications of chicory roots and their contribution to a fiber-rich diet.Peer reviewe