title: California school board members' perceptions of factors influencing school nutrition policy.
abstract: Enactment and enforcement of school nutrition policies represent key components in adolescent overweight and obesity prevention. This study determined: 1) California school board members' attitudes, perceptions, and motivations related to enactment of policies that support healthy eating in schools; and 2) barriers to adopting school policies that support healthy eating. To understand board members' decision-making process, key informant interviews were conducted and a survey was administered to 404 school board members. Though school board members care about the well-being of pupils, competing priorities limit the extent to which nutrition issues get addressed at board meetings. Members' decisions center primarily around academic achievement issues, yet they are interested in nutrition's overall impact on children's health and academic achievement.
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida, Florida Prevention Research Center, 13201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL 33612-3805, USA. kmbrown@hsc.usf.edu
authors.forename: Kelli McCormack
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Tabia Henry
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Akintobi
authors.forename: Seraphine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pitt
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Berends
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McDermott
authors.forename: Peggy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Agron
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Purcell
mesh_terms: D000288:Administrative Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D002140:California; D005522:Food Services; D006075:Governing Board; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D011050:Policy Making; D012572:School Health Services; D012574:Schools / Q000458:organization & administration*