Observational studyJournal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics2018
Eating School Meals Daily Is Associated with Healthier Dietary Intakes: The Healthy Communities Study.
Observational study in Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 55 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
55 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Direct Certification With Medicaid and School Lunch Participation Among Maryland Public Schools.JAMA network open · 2026Article
- When School Meals Are No Longer Free: A Qualitative Exploration of Elementary School Teachers' Experiences and Perceptions.Journal of nutrition education and behavior · 2026Article
- Multilevel, Actionable Factors Related to Adolescent Dairy Intake: A Scoping Review Guided by the Social Ecological Model.Current developments in nutrition · 2026Review
- From knowledge to everyday food choices: a qualitative study of nutrition literacy and eating behaviors among primary school students in Sabzevar, Iran.BMC nutrition · 2026Article
- Disseminating and Implementing the Science of Pediatric Obesity Treatment and Prevention.Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) · 2026Article
- Feeding problems in infancy and diet quality in later childhood: a prospective cohort study.Nutrition journal · 2026Observational
- Article
- Increasing the Potential Effectiveness of Universal School Meals through Community- Engaged Implementation Mapping: A Qualitative Case Study.Research square · 2026Article
- School Meals as a Strategy to Prevent Childhood Obesity and Advance Food Equity: A Narrative Review.Current obesity reports · 2026Review
- Perspectives on Universal Free School Meals Among Rural Middle and High School Students: A Mixed-Methods Study.Nutrients · 2026Article
- Feeding Minds, Building Societies: The Transformative Power of Universal School Meals.The Journal of school health · 2026Article
- Children's insights into nutritional culture and habits in Abu Dhabi.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Perspectives of adolescents from low-income households in Berlin-nutrition described by food affordability, household routines and autonomy: results from an exploratory qualitatively-driven mixed-methods study of cases.Frontiers in public health · 2026Observational
- The Impact of Nutrition Training Programs on Knowledge, Confidence, and Behavioral Intention Among School Nutrition Professionals.The Journal of school health · 2025Observational
- Using implementation mapping to optimize the impact of Universal School meals: a type III hybrid implementation-effectiveness study protocol.Implementation science communications · 2025Article
- Understanding implementation determinants of universal school meals through an equity-driven mixed methods approach.Implementation science communications · 2025Article
- A Narrative Review of Multifactorial Determinants of Childhood Eating Behaviors: Insights and Interventions Using the Social Ecological Model.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- The Continued Implementation and Perceived Impact of an Elementary School Wellness Policy After Extended COVID-19-Related School Closures.The Journal of school health · 2025Article
- Impact of mealtime social experiences on student consumption of meals at school: a qualitative analysis of caregiver perspectives.Public health nutrition · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundResearch on the association between school meal consumption and overall dietary intake post-Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act implementation is limited.
objectiveThis study examines the association between frequency of participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs and children's dietary intakes.
designThe Healthy Communities Study was a cross-sectional observational study conducted between 2013 and 2015. PARTICIPANTS AND
settingUS children aged 4 to 15 years (n=5,106) were included.
main outcome measuresDietary measures were assessed using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Dietary Screener Questionnaire. Dietary intake included fruit and vegetables, fiber, whole grains, dairy, calcium, total added sugar, sugar-sweetened beverages, and energy-dense foods of minimal nutritional value. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Multivariate statistical models assessed associations between frequency of eating school breakfast or lunch (every day vs not every day) and dietary intake, adjusting for child- and community-level covariates.
resultsChildren who ate school breakfast every day compared with children who ate 0 to 4 days/wk, reported consuming more fruits and vegetables (0.1 cup/day, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.1), dietary fiber (0.4 g/day, 95% CI: 0.2, 0.7), whole grains (0.1 oz/day, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.1), dairy (0.1 cup/day, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.1), and calcium (34.5 mg/day, 95% CI: 19.1, 49.9). Children who ate school lunch every day, compared with those who ate less frequently, consumed more dairy (0.1 cup/day, 95% CI: 0.1, 0.2) and calcium (32.4 mg/day, 95% CI: 18.1, 46.6). No significant associations were observed between school meal consumption and energy-dense nutrient-poor foods or added sugars.
conclusionsEating school breakfast and school lunch every day by US schoolchildren was associated with modestly healthier dietary intakes. These findings suggest potential nutritional benefits of regularly consuming school meals.
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Registered trials
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