A comparison of the vending environment among three rural subtypes of secondary schools

Disparities in Supports for Student Wellness Promotion Efforts Among Secondary Schools in Minnesota

BACKGROUND

We examined whether there are differences in the presence of supports for student wellness promotion (1) between schools in city, suburban and rural locations and, (2) among rural schools, according to distance from a metropolitan center.

METHODS

The analysis was conducted in a sample of 309 secondary schools using 2012 Minnesota School Health Profiles surveys and National Center for Educational Statistics Common Core Data. Scores for overall support addressed school health improvement coordination (range: 0-29), collaboration on health education activities (range: 0-5), and teachers' professional preparation (range: 0-7).

RESULTS

Mean overall scores for health improvement coordination (10.5 ± 7.3), collaboration on health education activities (3.0 ± 1.5) and professional preparation (4.0 ± 1.9) indicated supports are lacking in schools across city, suburban, and rural locations. Comparison of overall scores did not identify disparities; however, weaknesses and strengths of particular relevance for rural schools were identified in examining specific aspects of support. For example, the proportion of rural schools having a written school improvement plan was 54.8% compared to 84.6% of city schools and 64.3% of suburban schools (p = .01).

CONCLUSIONS

Tailored training and technical assistance are needed to better support schools in implementing recommended wellness policies and practices.

School-Based Obesity-Prevention Policies and Practices and Weight-Control Behaviors among Adolescents

BACKGROUND

The promotion of healthy eating and physical activity within school settings is an important component of population-based strategies to prevent obesity; however, adolescents may be vulnerable to weight-related messages, as rapid development during this life stage often leads to preoccupation with body size and shape.

OBJECTIVE

This study examines secular trends in secondary school curricula topics relevant to the prevention of unhealthy weight-control behaviors; describes cross-sectional associations between weight-related curricula content and students' use of weight-control behaviors; and assesses whether implementation of school-based obesity-prevention policies/practices is longitudinally related to students' weight-control behaviors.

DESIGN

The Minnesota School Health Profiles and Minnesota Student Survey (grades 9 and 12) data were used along with National Center for Education Statistics data to examine secular trends, cross-sectional associations (n=141 schools), and longitudinal associations (n=42 schools).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Students self-reported their height and weight along with past-year use of healthy (eg, exercise), unhealthy (eg, fasting), and extreme (eg, use laxatives) weight-control behaviors.

STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED

Descriptive statistics, generalized estimating equations, and generalized linear regression models accounting for school-level demographics.

RESULTS

There was no observable pattern during the years 2008 to 2014 in the mean number of curricula topics addressing unhealthy weight-control behaviors, despite an increase in the prevalence of curricula addressing acceptance of body-size differences. Including three vs fewer weight-control topics and specifically including the topic of eating disorders in the curricula was related to a lower school-level percent of students using any extreme weight-control behaviors. In contrast, an overall measure of implementing school-based obesity-prevention policies/practices (eg, prohibited advertising) was unrelated to use of unhealthy or extreme behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest obesity-prevention policies/practices do not have unintended consequences for student weight-control behaviors and support the importance of school-based health education as part of efforts to prevent unhealthy behaviors.