Femke De Meester, Delfien Van Dyck, Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij, Greet Cardon
Parental perceived neighborhood attributes: associations with active transport and physical activity among 10-12 year old children and the mediating role of independent mobility
BMC public health
wellness schools wits national nonprofit organization partnering public schools provide healthy scratch cooked less processed meals called alternative menu active recess study examined effects wits programming school lunch consumption including fruit vegetable intake second third grade students new york city public schools serving high proportion students lowincome households intervention evaluated quasiexperimental controlled design 14 elementary schools 7 initiated wits programming fall 2015 designated intervention schools 7 matched control schools school lunch consumption assessed anonymous observation using system observational cafeteria assessment foods eaten socafe tool fall 2015 time 0 early intervention spring 2016 time 1 2017 time 2 baseline data data also collected types entres served months october january april two school years study across time points relative students control schools students wits schools ate fruits vegetables units cups time 0 control 018 vs wits 028 time 1 control 025 vs wits 031 time 2 control 019 vs wits 027 p 0001 also fruits vegetables cups trays included vegetables salad bar however students wits schools ate fewer entres grain protein drank less milk students control schools compared control schools wits schools offered homestyle entres fewer finger foods sandwich entrees ie less processed food students wits schools received alternative menu wits programming data collection time points selected consumed fruits vegetables replication studies randomized designs true baseline data needed confirm findings identify avenues strengthening effects program school lunch components