Sk. Osganian et al., PERSPECTIVES ON THE SCHOOL NUTRITION DIETARY ASSESSMENT STUDY FROM THE CHILD AND ADOLESCENT TRIAL FOR CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH, The American journal of clinical nutrition, 61(1), 1995, pp. 241-244
The School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study provides current data on
the nutritional quality and adequacy of the National School Lunch Pro
gram (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP) as well as on the d
ietary intakes of students participating in these programs. The study
demonstrates that the NSLP and SBP meals and children's total diets do
not conform to the recommendations of the US Department of Agricultur
e and the National Research Council and confirms the need to improve t
he nutritional quality of the nation's school meal program and student
's overall dietary intakes. In this regard, the Child and Adolescent T
rial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH) is the first collaborative, sch
ool-based field trial that tests the effectiveness of a multilevel int
ervention designed to reduce the fat, saturated fat, and sodium conten
t of school meals and student's diets. This commentary highlights the
findings and questions raised by the School Nutrition Dietary Assessme
nt Study and presents an overview of CATCH, including the implications
and significant questions that can be addressed by this intervention
study.