Barriers and Facilitators to High School Meal Program Participation: A Qualitative Study of Students and Their Caregivers

High School Student and Caregiver Preferred Communication Method Regarding School Meals: A Qualitative Approach

BACKGROUND

This study examined student and caregiver preference for school communication and explored the feasibility and acceptability of a digital tool to assist with communication about school meal program between schools and families.

METHODS

The study used qualitative methodology through youth focus groups and caregiver semi-structured phone interviews. The study was conducted in 4 high schools in a large, urban city. The phenomenon of interest included the exploration of preferences regarding communication around school meal programs and feasibility and acceptability of a digital tool for communication and promoting the ordering of healthful foods in the school environment. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed through NVivo qualitative software using thematic analysis approach to examine themes.

RESULTS

Forty-seven students (ages 14-21, grades 9-12) participated in 7 focus groups and 24 caregivers participated in semi-structured phone interviews. Three themes emerged around (1) communication preferences, (2) accessibility, and (3) extrinsic motivational factors for engagement in healthy eating behaviors.

CONCLUSION

Results indicated that communication methods could potentially influence motivation and engagement in youth school meal participation.

A Spatial Analysis of Food Insecurity and Body Mass Index with Income and Grocery Store Density in a Diverse Sample of Adolescents and Young Adults

Food insecurity occurs when a household lacks consistent access to food and is more prevalent in ethnic and racial minority populations. While there has been a proliferation of research linking food insecurity to obesity, these findings are mixed. It may be helpful to consider some additional geographic factors that may be associated with both factors including socioeconomic status and grocery store density. The purpose of the current study aimed to examine spatial relationships between food insecurity and SES/store density and BMI and SES/store density in a diverse sample of adolescents and young adults across two studies in a large, urban city. GIS analysis revealed that participants with the highest food insecurity tend to live in the zip codes with the lowest median income. There did not appear to be clear a relationship between food insecurity and store density. Participants with the highest BMI tend to live in zip codes with lower median income and participants with higher BMI tended to live in the south and west sides of Chicago, which have a relatively lower concentration of grocery stores in the city. Our findings may help to inform future interventions and policy approaches to addressing both obesity and food insecurity in areas of higher prevalence.