Date Available
12-8-2017
Year of Publication
2017
Degree Name
Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Systems (MSNFS)
Document Type
Master's Thesis
College
Agriculture, Food and Environment
Department/School/Program
Dietetics and Human Nutrition
First Advisor
Dr. Alison Gustafson
Abstract
The school food environment has the ability to increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables in rural adolescents. This study used a survey to allow adolescents in seven rural counties to self-report their fruit and vegetable intake as well as utilizing the USDA Mathematica tool and the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study audits to evaluate what food and beverage products were actually available to adolescents. By using these two measures, associations between fruit and vegetable intake and availability of healthy and unhealthy foods were determined. The availability of healthy snacks and beverages was found to be associated with sugar-sweetened beverage intake in adolescents (p < 0.001); the availability of unhealthy snacks and beverages was associated with fruit and vegetable intake in adolescents (p < 0.001); the school marketing of water bottle stations and/or water dispenser availability was associated with sugar- sweetened beverage intake in adolescents (p < 0.001). Increasing the availability and school marketing of healthy foods and beverages in rural schools may be an effective way to improve fruit and vegetable consumption in adolescents.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/ETD.2017.479
Recommended Citation
Hickey, Hannah F., "THE SCHOOL FOOD ENVIRONMENT AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH DIETARY INTAKE AMONG RURAL ADOLESCENTS" (2017). Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems. 56.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/foodsci_etds/56
