Factors and Outcomes Associated With Using Scratch-Cooked, Organic, and Locally Grown Foods in School Meals in California.

Background: Incorporating scratch-cooked, organic, and locally grown foods into school meal programs can enhance meal quality and support local food systems.

Methods: 430 California school food authorities were surveyed to (1) evaluate their use of scratch-cooked, organic, and locally grown foods in their programs; (2) identify demographic and operational characteristics related to this use; and (3) analyze the relationship between serving more of these foods and perceived barriers to student meal participation. Poisson and logistic regression models, adjusted for SFAs' demographic characteristics, were used.

Perceptions and Experiences of Universal School Meals in California: Qualitative Insights From School Food Authorities on Participation, Stigma, and Operational Benefits and Challenges.

Background: Universal school meals (USM) aim to eliminate barriers to school meal access by providing free meals to all students regardless of family income. During the COVID-19 pandemic, US Department of Agriculture waivers allowed schools nationwide to offer meals free of charge to all students. Although USM have demonstrated positive effects on student health and participation, limited research has focused on the perspectives of the foodservice directors (FSDs) who manage them.

Household Food Insecurity Is Associated with Parental Perceptions of and Student Participation in School Meals.

Background/objectives: School meals are an important source of nutrition for children and have been found to help mitigate food insecurity. This study evaluated the association between food insecurity and school meal participation and whether parental perceptions about school meals differ by food security status.

Methods: In May 2022, 1110 Californian parents of K-12 students shared their perceptions about school meals, including meal quality, healthiness, stigma, and benefits, as well as their child's participation in school meals, in an online survey.

Reduced red and processed meat consumption is associated with lower diet costs in US households: a national analysis of protein substitutions.

Objective: To examine the association between red and processed meat consumption and total food expenditures in US households and explore whether households could reduce food costs by substituting these meats with other protein sources such as poultry, seafood, eggs and plant proteins.

Design: Cross-sectional study using data from the National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS). Using adult male equivalents (AME) for standardisation, we categorised red and processed meat purchases into quintiles.

Perceived Influence of a State-Level Universal Free School Meal Policy on Households With Varying Income Levels: An Analysis of Parental Perspectives.

Background: In the United States, a means-tested approach is often used to provide free or reduced-price meals (FRPM) to students from lower-income households. However, federal income thresholds do not account for regional cost of living variations. Thus, many ineligible households may be at risk for food insecurity.

Sleep duration, overweight status, and the modifying role of food insecurity in a sample of 10- to 14-year-old Mexican early adolescents.

Objectives: Short sleep duration has been associated with an increased risk of childhood overweight and obesity in high-income countries, but data from low- and middle-income countries are scarce. Independently, short sleep and food insecurity may increase the risk of overweight/obesity, but it is unknown whether they concurrently affect it.

Methods: We included 3350 adolescents aged 10-14 from the 2012 and 2016 Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey.

The Benefits and Challenges of Providing School Meals during the First Year of California's Universal School Meal Policy as Reported by School Foodservice Professionals.

States in the U.S. are newly implementing universal school meal (USM) policies, yet little is known about the facilitators of their success and the challenges they confront.

Students' Perspectives on the Benefits and Challenges of Universal School Meals Related to Food Accessibility, Stigma, Participation, and Waste.

Objective: To reveal students' experiences and perspectives related to Universal School Meals (USM) under the federal coronavirus disease 2019 waivers during school years 2021-22.

Design: Qualitative; 17 focus groups in June-July 2022.

Setting: Virtual; students from 9 California regions in public and charter schools.

Parent perceptions of school meals and how perceptions differ by race and ethnicity.

Parental perceptions of school meals can affect student participation and overall support for school meal policies. Little is known about parental school meal perceptions under universal free school meals (UFSM) policies. We assessed California parents' perceptions of school meals during the COVID-19 emergency response with federally funded UFSM and whether perceptions differed by race/ethnicity.

Parent Perceptions of School Meals Influence Student Participation in School Meal Programs.

Objective: To evaluate if parent perceptions of school meals influence student participation.

Design: In May 2022, an online survey was used to evaluate parents' perceptions of school meals and their children's participation.

Participants: A total of 1,110 California parents of kindergarten through 12th-grade students.

Critical research gaps in treating growth faltering in infants under 6 months: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

In 2020, 149.2 million children worldwide under 5 years suffered from stunting, and 45.4 million experienced wasting.

Maternity care experiences and breastfeeding at discharge among Maryland WIC participants: A qualitative analysis.

Background: Breastfeeding imparts numerous health and social benefits for families. Barriers deter some individuals from breastfeeding. Rates are lower among certain populations, including participants of the federally funded Women, Infants, and Children's Program (WIC).

Impact of baby behaviour on caregiver's infant feeding decisions during the first 6 months of life: A systematic review.

Caregivers are often concerned about baby behaviours. Without adequate counselling, parental response can lead to altering infant feeding and jeopardizing breastfeeding. We conducted a systematic review to assess the evidence about the influence of baby behaviours perceived as problematic (crying, sleep waking and posseting) on infant feeding decisions during the first 6 months of life (self-reported milk insufficiency, breastfeeding duration and introduction of formula).

Baby Friendly Hospital Designation and Breastfeeding Outcomes Among Maryland WIC Participants.

Objectives: The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is an effective intervention to support maternal practices around breastfeeding. However, little is known about its impact on participants of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether Baby Friendly Hospital (BFH) designation in Maryland improved breastfeeding practices among Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) participants.

Exposure to Baby-Friendly Hospital Practices and Breastfeeding Outcomes of WIC Participants in Maryland.

Background: The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is an effective intervention to support maternal practices around breastfeeding. However, adherence of hospitals to the Baby-Friendly 10 Steps, as determined from the perspective of women participating in the United States Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, has not been assessed.

Research Aims: (1) To compare maternal perceptions about maternity practices in Baby-Friendly Hospitals and non-Baby-Friendly Hospitals; (2) to evaluate the associations between degree of exposure to the Baby-Friendly 10 Steps and breastfeeding practices through the first 6 months; and (3) to evaluate whether the receipt of specific Steps was associated with breastfeeding practices through 6 months.

Caregiver perceptions of the neighborhood food environment and their relationship with the home food environment and childhood obesity in Northeast China.

Objective: To examine the relationships between caregiver perceptions of their neighborhood food environment and home food environment and between caregiver perceptions of neighborhood food environment and childhood obesity.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: A total of twenty-six primary schools in northeast China.

Functional Limitations, Depression, and Cash Assistance are Associated with Food Insecurity among Older Urban Adults in Mexico City.

Purpose: To examine factors associated with food insecurity among urban older adults (65 years and older).

Methods: Three hundred and fifty two older adults attending community centers in a neighborhood of Mexico City were surveyed for food insecurity, functional impairments, health and mental health status, cash-transfer assistance, socio-demographic characteristics, social isolation, and the built food environment.

Results: Having at least primary education and receiving cash-transfers were significantly associated with a lower probability of being moderately-severely food insecure (OR=0.