Two years later: wellness councils and healthier vending in a cohort of middle and high schools.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between school wellness council structure over 2 years and low-nutrient, energy-dense vending fare assessed as a food score (range: 0-7), following enactment of federal legislation.


METHODS
Multivariate linear regression was used to examine 2006/2007 and 2008/2009 data among a cohort of middle (n = 16) and high (n = 38) schools located in a Midwest metropolitan area.


RESULTS
Schools with district and school councils had a significantly lower mean food score (3.28) than schools with district-only (4.50) and no councils (4.99).


CONCLUSIONS
Wellness councils, particularly a structure that includes both a district and school council, may contribute to decreasing low-nutrient, energy-dense food/beverage availability in middle and high schools.
Population Health and Systems Cooperative Unit, School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA. kubik002@umn.edu
Martha Y
MY
Kubik
Kian
K
Farbakhsh
Leslie A
LA
Lytle
D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005509:Food Dispensers, Automatic / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005522:Food Services / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D015146:Midwestern United States; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009753:Nutritive Value; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D012574:Schools / Q000458:organization & administration*