The social environment of schools and adolescent nutrition: associations between the school nutrition climate and adolescents' eating behaviors and body mass index

Branko Cvjetan; Jennifer Utter; Elizabeth Robinson; Simon Denny

doi:10.1111/josh.12197

The social environment of schools and adolescent nutrition: associations between the school nutrition climate and adolescents' eating behaviors and body mass index

Branko Cvjetan
, Jennifer Utter
, Elizabeth Robinson
, Simon Denny

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the association between the school nutrition climate and students' eating behaviors and body mass index (BMI).

METHODS: Data were collected as part of Youth'07, a nationally representative health survey of high school students in New Zealand. Overall, 9107 randomly selected students from 96 randomly selected schools participated. School-level measures were created by aggregating students' reports within schools. Analyses were conducted using multilevel modeling, accounting for student-level characteristics.

RESULTS: There was a positive association between the school nutrition climate and students' consumption of fruits and vegetables. This relationship was statistically significant after controlling for the background characteristics of students. There were no associations between the school nutrition climate and students' junk food consumption or BMI.

CONCLUSIONS: The school nutrition climate appears to have a positive influence on adolescents' healthy eating behaviors (fruit and vegetable intake), but a limited effect on unhealthy eating behaviors and ultimately body weight. This may reflect the pervasiveness of junk food in the environments of adolescents outside of school and the difficulty in limiting its consumption.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	677-82
Number of pages	6
Journal	Journal of School Health
Volume	84
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12197
Publication status	Published - Oct 2014
Externally published	Yes

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10.1111/josh.12197

Public health nutrition research
Reidlinger, D. (Project Lead), Cox, G. (Associate Investigator), Marshall, S. (Associate Investigator), MacKenzie-Shalders, K. (Associate Investigator), Patterson, P. (Associate Investigator), Campbell, K. (Associate Investigator), Van Herwerden, L. (Assistant Professor), Utter, J. (Associate Professor), Mayr, H. (Associate Investigator), Van der Meij, B. (Associate Investigator), Kelly, J. (Associate Investigator), Maugeri, B. (Assistant Professor), Marx, W. (Associate Investigator), Turner, C. (Partner Investigator) & Tang, X. (Associate Investigator)
1/01/14 → 31/01/29
Project: Research

Cite this

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title = "The social environment of schools and adolescent nutrition: associations between the school nutrition climate and adolescents' eating behaviors and body mass index",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the association between the school nutrition climate and students' eating behaviors and body mass index (BMI).METHODS: Data were collected as part of Youth'07, a nationally representative health survey of high school students in New Zealand. Overall, 9107 randomly selected students from 96 randomly selected schools participated. School-level measures were created by aggregating students' reports within schools. Analyses were conducted using multilevel modeling, accounting for student-level characteristics.RESULTS: There was a positive association between the school nutrition climate and students' consumption of fruits and vegetables. This relationship was statistically significant after controlling for the background characteristics of students. There were no associations between the school nutrition climate and students' junk food consumption or BMI.CONCLUSIONS: The school nutrition climate appears to have a positive influence on adolescents' healthy eating behaviors (fruit and vegetable intake), but a limited effect on unhealthy eating behaviors and ultimately body weight. This may reflect the pervasiveness of junk food in the environments of adolescents outside of school and the difficulty in limiting its consumption.",

author = "Branko Cvjetan and Jennifer Utter and Elizabeth Robinson and Simon Denny",

note = "{\textcopyright} 2014, American School Health Association.",

year = "2014",

month = oct,

doi = "10.1111/josh.12197",

language = "English",

volume = "84",

pages = "677--82",

journal = "Journal of School Health",

issn = "0022-4391",

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The social environment of schools and adolescent nutrition: associations between the school nutrition climate and adolescents' eating behaviors and body mass index. / Cvjetan, Branko; Utter, Jennifer; Robinson, Elizabeth et al.
In: Journal of School Health, Vol. 84, No. 10, 10.2014, p. 677-82.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - The social environment of schools and adolescent nutrition: associations between the school nutrition climate and adolescents' eating behaviors and body mass index

AU - Cvjetan, Branko

AU - Utter, Jennifer

AU - Robinson, Elizabeth

AU - Denny, Simon

PY - 2014/10

Y1 - 2014/10

N2 - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the association between the school nutrition climate and students' eating behaviors and body mass index (BMI).METHODS: Data were collected as part of Youth'07, a nationally representative health survey of high school students in New Zealand. Overall, 9107 randomly selected students from 96 randomly selected schools participated. School-level measures were created by aggregating students' reports within schools. Analyses were conducted using multilevel modeling, accounting for student-level characteristics.RESULTS: There was a positive association between the school nutrition climate and students' consumption of fruits and vegetables. This relationship was statistically significant after controlling for the background characteristics of students. There were no associations between the school nutrition climate and students' junk food consumption or BMI.CONCLUSIONS: The school nutrition climate appears to have a positive influence on adolescents' healthy eating behaviors (fruit and vegetable intake), but a limited effect on unhealthy eating behaviors and ultimately body weight. This may reflect the pervasiveness of junk food in the environments of adolescents outside of school and the difficulty in limiting its consumption.

AB - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the association between the school nutrition climate and students' eating behaviors and body mass index (BMI).METHODS: Data were collected as part of Youth'07, a nationally representative health survey of high school students in New Zealand. Overall, 9107 randomly selected students from 96 randomly selected schools participated. School-level measures were created by aggregating students' reports within schools. Analyses were conducted using multilevel modeling, accounting for student-level characteristics.RESULTS: There was a positive association between the school nutrition climate and students' consumption of fruits and vegetables. This relationship was statistically significant after controlling for the background characteristics of students. There were no associations between the school nutrition climate and students' junk food consumption or BMI.CONCLUSIONS: The school nutrition climate appears to have a positive influence on adolescents' healthy eating behaviors (fruit and vegetable intake), but a limited effect on unhealthy eating behaviors and ultimately body weight. This may reflect the pervasiveness of junk food in the environments of adolescents outside of school and the difficulty in limiting its consumption.

U2 - 10.1111/josh.12197

DO - 10.1111/josh.12197

M3 - Article

C2 - 25154532

SN - 0022-4391

VL - 84

SP - 677

EP - 682

JO - Journal of School Health

JF - Journal of School Health

IS - 10

ER -

The social environment of schools and adolescent nutrition: associations between the school nutrition climate and adolescents' eating behaviors and body mass index

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Public health nutrition research

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