Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41998760›Full record

Observational studyThe international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity2026

Measuring change in school-based practices that promote children's healthy eating and active living: a psychometric study.

Carolyn D Rider, Ramsha Baig, Janice Kao, Sridharshi C Hewawitharana, Gail Woodward-Lopez, Miranda Westfall Brown

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Carolyn D RiderNutrition Policy Institute, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California, 1111 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA, 94607, USA. cdrider@ucanr.edu.
Ramsha BaigNutrition Policy Institute, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California, 1111 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA, 94607, USA.
Janice KaoNutrition Policy Institute, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California, 1111 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA, 94607, USA.
Sridharshi C HewawitharanaNutrition Policy Institute, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California, 1111 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA, 94607, USA.
Gail Woodward-LopezNutrition Policy Institute, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California, 1111 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA, 94607, USA.
Miranda Westfall BrownNutrition Policy Institute, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California, 1111 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA, 94607, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPublic health interventions targeting youth nutrition and physical activity often focus on changing policies, systems, and environments (PSE) in schools. To support rigorous evaluation of PSE efforts, this study examined whether the School Site-Level Assessment Questionnaire (SLAQ), a self-assessment instrument for schools serving grades kindergarten through 12 (K-12), was sufficiently sensitive to measure changes in schools’ nutrition and physical activity practices in response to interventions.

methodsThis longitudinal, observational study included 69 K-12 schools in low-income California communities that completed School SLAQs in two consecutive school years (2022 and 2023) and reported PSE and/or nutrition education interventions in school year 2022. Wilcoxon signed-rank and paired t-tests compared changes in nutrition and physical activity practices measured by the School SLAQ between years among schools with relevant interventions.

resultsStatistically significant increases in median nutrition (by 0.06, p < 0.001; effect size [ES] = 0.42) and PA (by 0.07, p < 0.001; ES = 0.64) overall domain scores were observed among schools implementing corresponding interventions. Statistically significant increases were also observed in six of nine practice areas: school meal and beverage quality (by 0.04 [95% CI: 0.002–0.07]), meal environment and promotion (by 0.04 [95% CI: 0.01–0.08]), non-meal food and beverage quality and promotion (by 0.09 [95% CI: 0.05–0.13]), non-physical education physical activity opportunities (by 0.09 [95% CI: 0.02–0.17]), physical activity facilities (by 0.07 [95% CI: 0.03–0.12]), and nutrition education (by 0.10 [95% CI: 0.01–0.18]), among schools implementing corresponding interventions.

conclusionThe School SLAQ is, to our knowledge, the only tool demonstrated to measure changes in the K-12 school nutrition and physical activity environment. This comprehensive and valid instrument can be a valuable tool for schools and public health partners when planning and evaluating the effectiveness of school-based PSE interventions, as well as measuring the impact of policy initiatives.

Indexed as

Diet, HealthyExerciseHealth PromotionSchool Health ServicesSchoolsCaliforniaChildFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMalePovertyPsychometricsSurveys and QuestionnairesChild healthHealthy eatingNutrition policiesPhysical activityPsychometricsSchool health promotionSensitivitySurveys and questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID41998760
PMCPMC13224441

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.