Publications by authors named "Dana Mansfield"
Food insecurity is a mechanism through which the mental health impacts of systemic social inequities multiply across the lifespan. Federally administered food assistance programs improve food security, but their impact on mental health is less clear. We conducted a systematic review of all studies that reported an association between food assistance participation and mental health (N = 34), and a multilevel meta-analysis among studies that met inclusion criteria and reported sufficient statistical results (n = 21; k = 44).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: 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.
Background: The school food environment is a critically important area to target the health of millions of students, especially those experiencing food insecurity. However, both students and caregivers have noted significant barriers to participation in the school meal program, including taste, lunchroom experience, and limited availability of fresh, healthy foods. There is a lack of qualitative research which considers both caregiver and adolescent perspectives, particularly among youth of color.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The purpose of the study was to assess the feasibility of an environmental school lunchroom intervention ('Smarter Lunchrooms') and test initial efficacy within a predominantly Latinx population.
Design: We collected baseline and intervention lunchroom food consumption and waste data in a pre-post, single group design. Meal consumption data was analyzed using Nutrition Data System for Research software to obtain estimates of nutritional content.