Jt. Dwyer et al., IMPROVING SCHOOL BREAKFASTS - EFFECTS OF THE CATCH EAT SMART PROGRAM ON THE NUTRIENT CONTENT OF SCHOOL BREAKFASTS, Preventive medicine, 25(4), 1996, pp. 413-422
Citations number
27
Categorie Soggetti
Public, Environmental & Occupation Heath","Medicine, General & Internal
Background. This paper describes the impact of the Eat Smart School Nu
trition Program, the food service component of the Child and Adolescen
t Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH), on the percentage of calori
es from total fat and saturated fat and the sodium content of school b
reakfasts. Methods. Fifty-nine of the 96 CATCH schools offered breakfa
st. We collected 5 consecutive days of school breakfast menu, recipe,
and vendor product information at three periods to assess the nutrient
content of the school menus as offered. Results. At baseline (Fall 19
91), intervention school breakfasts provided 28% of calories from tota
l fat and control schools 30%. Decreases occurred over time in both gr
oups, but no significant differences were attributable to the interven
tion (adjusted mean difference = -0.4; P = 0.77). Saturated fat exceed
ed the Eat Smart goal at baseline in all schools and by follow-up (Spr
ing 1994), the reduction in mean percentage of calories from saturated
fat was greater in intervention than in control schools (adjusted mea
n difference = -1.6%; P = 0.052). Sodium goals were not achieved. Mean
calorie levels were maintained at or above Eat Smart goals throughout
the study in both groups. Differences over time in other dietary vari
ables (percentage of calories from protein and carbohydrate and mean l
evels of protein, carbohydrate, calcium, iron, vitamin A value, vitami
n C, total sugars, and dietary fiber) were not statistically significa
nt between groups. No significant reductions in student participation
in the School Breakfast Program (SEP) occurred. Conclusions. The Eat S
mart food service intervention improved school breakfast composition,
but not significantly more so than in control schools. Fat and saturat
ed fat in school breakfasts were lowered while maintaining calories, o
ther essential nutrient levels, and student participation in the SEP.
Secular trends and also the possibility that control schools were affe
cted by the Eat Smart intervention may account for these findings. (C)
1996 Academic Press, Inc.