Participation in the US Department of Agriculture's Summer Meal Programs: 2019-2021.

Background: The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) summer meal programs are designed to provide meals at no cost while school is out of session. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several regulatory waivers were enacted to facilitate meal distribution. The aim of this study was to assess the rates of meal distribution before and after these waivers were in effect.

USDA's Summer Meals During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Examination of Participants and Non-Participants in 2021.

Background: The US Department of Agriculture's school meal programs have wide reach during the school year, but food insufficiency among households with children increases during summer months. The US Department of Agriculture summer meal programs are designed to fill this gap, yet participation has historically been low.

Objective: To examine the facilitators and barriers to participation in a 2021 summer meal program while the COVID-19 pandemic regulation waivers were in place.

Assessing District Policy Alignment with the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model in Connecticut, 2019 to 2020.

Background: The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model offers a comprehensive framework for creating safe, healthy, and supportive school environments. However, few studies to date have examined the degree to which school policies represent a comprehensive and integrated approach to this goal beyond nutrition and physical activity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to provide a baseline evaluation of the alignment of district-level policies with the WSCC model within one state.

Assessing the Effects of a Statewide Training Initiative on Local School Wellness Policies.

Local district wellness policies are designed to ensure that schools support student health by providing a healthy nutrition environment and opportunities for physical activity. The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) developed a 5-year initiative to strengthen wellness policies across their state by offering regional wellness workshops and providing coaches to work with individual districts. KSDE also developed the Wellness Impact Tool (WIT), a self-report measure districts use to document their practices at each school level related to Nutrition, Nutrition Promotion, Physical Activity, and Integrated School-Based Wellness.

Development of a Comprehensive Tool for School Health Policy Evaluation: The WellSAT WSCC.

Background: Stakeholders increasingly recognize the role of policy in implementing Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) frameworks in schools; however, few tools are currently available to assess alignment between district policies and WSCC concepts. The purpose of this study was to expand the Wellness School Assessment Tool (WellSAT) for evaluation of policies related to all 10 domains of the WSCC model.

Methods: Developing the WellSAT WSCC was an iterative process that involved (1) identifying items for each domain based on key concepts and best practice recommendations; (2) expert review of the draft measure; (3) cognitive pre-testing; (4) developing scoring criteria; and (5) pilot-testing the measure.

Understanding the process of implementing nutrition and physical activity policies in a large national child care organization: a mixed-methods study.

Learning Care Group made a three-year commitment with the Partnership for a Healthier America to implement several evidence-based nutrition and physical activity policies in over 900 child care centers. New practices included serving more fruits and vegetables; eliminating sugary drinks and juice; family-style dining; healthier celebrations; limiting screen time; increasing outdoor play time; and supporting breastfeeding. A sequential convergent mixed-methods design was used to describe changes in center practices over time; organizational support for changes; and center director perceptions of the implementation process.