title: Strength and Comprehensiveness of School Wellness Policies in Southeastern US School Districts.
abstract: In 2004, Congress passed legislation mandating that all public school districts participating in federal school meal programs develop a school wellness policy (SWP) to direct efforts related to nutrition and physical activity. We examined the extent to which SWPs varied in comprehensiveness and strength in a representative sample of school districts in the southeastern United States, the area of the country with the highest rates of childhood obesity.
  
  
  
  Policies were assessed using an established 96-item coding tool by 2 raters to ascertain the comprehensiveness and strength of the policies as a whole, and across distinct subsections specified by federal legislation. In addition, variability in SWP comprehensiveness and strength was assessed based on district sociodemographic characteristics.
  
  
  
  Overall, SWPs in the southeastern states are weakly written, fragmented, and lack requirements necessary for healthy school environments. District size, which was the only sociodemographic factor related to policy characteristics, yielded an inverse association.
  
  
  
  To encourage continued promotion of healthy school environments, school districts will require technical support to improve the quality of their school wellness policies.
authors: Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Campus Box 7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27599. coxmj@unc.edu.
authors: Melissa J
authors: MJ
authors: Cox
authors: Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Campus Box 7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27599. sennett@email.unc.edu.
authors: Susan T
authors: ST
authors: Ennett
authors: Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 1516 E Franklin St #200, Chapel Hill, NC 27514. ringwalt@pire.org.
authors: Christopher L
authors: CL
authors: Ringwalt
authors: Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 1516 E Franklin St #200, Chapel Hill, NC 27514. shanley@pire.org.
authors: Sean M
authors: SM
authors: Hanley
authors: Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Campus Box 7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27599. jbowling@email.unc.edu.
authors: James M
authors: JM
authors: Bowling
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015144:Southeastern United States
keywords: child and adolescent health; health educators; school health policy; school wellness; school-related legislation