School staff, parent and student perceptions of a Breakfast in the Classroom model during initial implementation

Educational Video Intervention Improves Perceptions of Breakfast in the Classroom Among College Students in Elementary Education

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate Elementary Education college students' familiarity and perceptions of Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) before and after an educational video intervention.

METHODS

A 5-minute educational video was developed as an intervention in a pilot study. Quantitative data were collected from Elementary Education students using preintervention and postintervention surveys and analyzed using paired sample t tests (P < 0.001).

RESULTS

A total of 68 participants completed preintervention and postintervention surveys. Postintervention survey scores indicated that participants' perceptions of BIC improved after watching the video. Paired sample t tests also showed an increase in preference for BIC, familiarity with the 5 school breakfast service models, and confidence to implement BIC in future classrooms.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

An educational video intervention effectively improves Elementary Education students' perceptions of BIC. Elementary Education students who gain a positive perception of BIC may influence the program's success and ability to benefit students.

Key determinants to school breakfast program implementation in Philadelphia public schools: Implications for the role of SNAP-Ed

Background

Policies addressing food insecurity are only effective if they are implemented successfully, serving those most at risk. Universal school meals provide a key intervention to schools that serve predominantly low-income families by providing free school breakfast and lunch to all. Unfortunately, low uptake of such provisions among students is concerning especially regarding school breakfast, warranting key implementation support for schools to ensure student nutrition needs are met. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the determinants of implementing two different school breakfast programs and pragmatic strategies for serving breakfast in ways that maximize student participation.

Methods

A qualitative study was conducted between 2018 and 2020 within the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) comprising surveys, interviews, and observations to assess contextual determinants of two distinctive breakfast models: Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) and Cafeteria after the Bell (CAB). Principals and lead kitchen staff completed surveys to assess determinants of breakfast model adoption. Principals, lead kitchen staff, classroom teachers, climate (i.e., social emotional wellbeing), and facilities staff subsequently participated in interviews to discuss implementation determinants (i.e., facilitators and challenges) and strategies for maximizing student participation. Observations provided rich data to triangulate interviews and survey data. Survey data were analyzed using frequency analysis, and observation and interview data were analyzed through thematic analysis. Presentation of themes was framed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.

Results

Results highlighted several positive determinants to participation including addressing student and family needs, making data-informed decisions, and providing hot meals and fruit based on student tastes. Negative determinants to implementation comprised challenges to SNAP-Ed-funded policy changes to promote student breakfast participation, lack of communication between administration, and staff and turnover among food service staff. Strategies included modifying school entrance procedures and combining breakfast with other education-related tasks to minimize instructional time lost through breakfast after the bell schedules.

Discussion

Data highlight the need to include implementation partner expertise when designing interventions for increasing reach and effectiveness of school meal programs. Future research that directly tests implementation strategies and key outcomes of reach/participation, among others, is critical to bridging the policy to practice gap in school nutrition programs.

Evaluation of Delivering Breakfast After the Bell and Academic Performance Among Third-Grade Children: An Application of the Synthetic Control Method

BACKGROUND

Breakfast after the bell (BAB), an alternative way to deliver breakfast after the school day begins, has been shown to increase participation in the School Breakfast Program. However, BAB occupies time that could otherwise be used for instruction and may affect academic performance. This study examined whether BAB affects math and literacy scores in third grade, an age not adequately studied in earlier literature.

METHODS

Using data on Arkansas students, we compared schools adopting BAB to corresponding "synthetic" control schools by minimizing preadoption differences in observables that can influence test scores.

RESULTS

We found little evidence of positive or negative effects on test scores. We also found little evidence of meaningful program effects over subsamples of schools by district enrollment size and BAB delivery method. Schools that adopted grab-and-go delivery and schools in districts with small enrollments, less than 600 students, showed statistically negative effects on math after BAB adoption. However, these effects were transitory and no longer present by the time the first fully exposed cohort reached third grade.

CONCLUSIONS

BAB can be incorporated into the school day without adversely impacting academic achievement, especially if adopting schools seek input from educators and nutrition personnel already experienced with BAB.

Teachers' Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Breakfast in the Classroom: The Importance of Health

BACKGROUND

Teacher resistance is sometimes cited as a barrier to implementing Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC), an approach to school breakfast in which students eat at their desks after the school day has begun. Given their role in serving breakfast with BIC, teacher perceptions may be critical in implementing an effective BIC program.

METHODS

K-5 teachers (N = 249) in an urban, low-income school district completed an online survey that assessed their expectations of BIC (retrospectively), perceptions of its benefits and challenges, and current program satisfaction. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation tests, and multiple regression analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Most teachers (64%) whose students were currently receiving BIC were satisfied with the program overall, and 81% of teachers agreed that (1) BIC should continue and (2) is worth the effort. The most commonly identified problem was lack of breakfast variety and healthfulness. Retrospective positive expectations were positively correlated with current program satisfaction (r = .61, p < .001), although overall post-implementation perceptions are much more positive. Additionally, the perception that BIC improves students' health is related to higher satisfaction with BIC.

CONCLUSIONS

Focusing on the health implications of BIC may be important to implementing new BIC programs.

Prevalence of Evidence-Based School Meal Practices and Associations with Reported Food Waste across a National Sample of U.S. Elementary Schools

Providing meals at school is an important part of the hunger safety net for children in the United States and worldwide; however, many children do not receive school meals even when they qualify for federally-subsidized free or reduced-priced meals. This study investigates the prevalence of several evidence-based practices that have previously been shown to increase the reach and impact of school meals. A survey was sent to a national sample of US elementary schools, with items examining practices regarding school breakfast, school lunch, recess, the promotion of meals, nutrition standards, and food waste, during the 2019-20 school year. Almost all schools that offered lunch also offered breakfast. More than 50% used a breakfast service strategy other than cafeteria service, such as grab-and-go breakfast meals. Providing at least 30 min for lunch periods and providing recess before lunch were reported by less than half of schools. About 50% of schools reported using only one or fewer meal promotional strategies (such as taste tests) throughout the school year. Use of more promotional strategies was associated with less reported food waste in a multivariable regression model accounting for school demographic characteristics. Findings show that some evidence-based practices for school meals are being implemented, but many recommendations are not being widely adopted.

Teachers' Experience and Perspectives of Traditional Breakfast and Breakfast in the Classroom

OBJECTIVE

To understand teachers' perceptions about Breakfast in the Classroom and traditional breakfast.

DESIGN

An electronic survey was sent to teachers across the state of Utah. Teachers responded to an open-ended question exploring what they liked and/or disliked about Breakfast in the Classroom and traditional breakfast.

SETTING

Schools across the state of Utah.

PARTICIPANTS

Kindergarten through grade 12 teachers who were members of the Utah Education Association.

PHENOMENON OF INTEREST

Teachers' opinions regarding Breakfast in the Classroom and traditional school breakfast ANALYSIS: Researchers independently coded all responses and then grouped codes into themes. Themes were reviewed recursively over time.

RESULTS

The 3 overarching themes were food and nutrition, administration of school breakfast, and student outcomes. Aspects most commonly disliked were the nutrition or quality of food, the mess created, the time required, coordination and logistical issues, behavioral issues, and waste. Aspects most commonly liked were breakfast being available to all students, students being fed or not hungry, coordination and logistics, and student learning and academics.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Teachers liked and disliked aspects of Breakfast in the Classroom and traditional breakfast. Schools could potentially increase efforts to garner support and feedback from teachers to create buy-in and identify best practices. Future research could focus on identifying the effect that the School Breakfast Program model has on teachers' perceptions as well as confirming results with a larger and more diverse population.

Factors Influencing the Implementation of Nutrition Policies in Schools: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Although school nutrition policies (SNPs) have been highlighted as an important intervention to support childhood nutrition, their implementation and maintenance within real-word settings is complex. There is a need to understand the factors that influence implementation by consolidating existing research and identifying commonalities and differences.

AIMS

The purpose of this review is to determine what is known about the influence of broad and local system factors on the implementation of SNPs internationally.

METHOD

This scoping review involved identifying and selecting relevant literature that related SNP implementation in primary and secondary schools. Following the search process, 2,368 articles were screened and 59 articles were synthesized and charted and emerging themes were identified.

RESULTS

Across the final studies identified, factors emerged as barriers and facilitators to the implementation of SNPs, with system implications that related to five areas to support policy action: providing macro-level support may encourage policy implementation; addressing the financial implications of healthy food access; aligning nutrition and core school priorities; developing a common purpose and responsibility among stakeholders; recognition of school and community characteristics.

DISCUSSION

While SNPs can help to support childhood nutrition, strategies to address issues related to policy implementation need to be taken to help schools overcome persistent challenges.

CONCLUSION

The results of this review provide opportunities for action across multiple system levels to ensure synergy and coordinated action toward SNP goals to foster the creation supportive nutrition environments for children.

Teacher Perceptions and Preferences for 5 School Breakfast Program Models

OBJECTIVE

Identify differences in teacher perceptions of benefits, challenges, and preferences to different School Breakfast Program (SBP) service models.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study design was used and an electronic survey was distributed to teachers throughout the state of Utah.

SETTING

Kindergarten through 12th-grade schools throughout Utah.

PARTICIPANTS

A convenience sample of 369 kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers in Utah.

VARIABLES MEASURED

Demographics, benefits and challenges, and teacher preference for SBP models in Utah.

ANALYSIS

Frequencies and multiple comparison analysis tests were performed. A level of significance of <.001 was chosen to protect for multiple comparisons.

RESULTS

Traditional breakfast was the most preferred model, with a mean score of 2.8; Breakfast in the Classroom was the least preferred model by teachers, with a mean of -1.3 (scale used = -5 to 0 to 5). Children not going hungry was the greatest benefit (95.4%; n = 352) to SBP and food waste was the greatest challenge (45.8%; n = 168).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Teachers prefer traditional SBP model over BIC and other nontraditional models. Increased awareness and education regarding benefits and challenges of SBP models may increase teacher preference for nontraditional SBP models, especially BIC.

Factors Influencing Fluid Milk Waste in a Breakfast in the Classroom School Breakfast Program

OBJECTIVE

To determine predictors of fluid milk waste in a Breakfast in the Classroom School Breakfast Program.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional with 3 repeated measures/classroom.

SETTING

Elementary schools in a medium-sized, low-income, urban school district.

PARTICIPANTS

Twenty third- through fourth-grade classrooms across 6 schools.

MAIN OUTCOMES

Dependent variables include percentage of total and served milk wasted. Independent variables included observed daily menu offerings, program factors, and teacher and student behavior.

ANALYSIS

Descriptive statistics were used to characterize variables across classrooms and schools. Multilevel mixed-effects models were used to test associations between predictors and outcomes of interest. P ≤ .05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Total milk waste increased 12% when juice was offered and 3% for each additional carton of unserved milk. Teacher encouragement to take and/or consume breakfast was associated with a 5% and 9% increase in total and served milk waste, respectively. When students were engaged in other activities in addition to eating breakfast, total milk waste decreased 10%.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Beverage offerings were predictive of greater total milk waste. Teacher and student behavior also appeared to influence milk consumption. Findings suggest that specific changes to School Breakfast Program implementation policies and practices could have an important role in waste mitigation.

Nutritional, Economic, and Environmental Costs of Milk Waste in a Classroom School Breakfast Program

OBJECTIVES

To measure fluid milk waste in a US School Breakfast in the Classroom Program and estimate its nutritional, economic, and environmental effects.

METHODS

Fluid milk waste was directly measured on 60 elementary school classroom days in a medium-sized, urban district. The US Department of Agriculture nutrition database, district cost data, and carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) emissions and water footprint estimates for fluid milk were used to calculate the associated nutritional, economic, and environmental costs.

RESULTS

Of the total milk offered to School Breakfast Program participants, 45% was wasted. A considerably smaller portion of served milk was wasted (26%). The amount of milk wasted translated into 27% of vitamin D and 41% of calcium required of School Breakfast Program meals. The economic and environmental costs amounted to an estimated $274 782 (16% of the district's total annual School Breakfast Program food expenditures), 644 893 kilograms of CO₂e, and 192 260 155 liters of water over the school year in the district.

CONCLUSIONS

These substantial effects of milk waste undermine the School Breakfast Program's capacity to ensure short- and long-term food security and federal food waste reduction targets. Interventions that reduce waste are urgently needed.