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To describe the quality of food and physical activity (PA) environments by World Bank Income level in jurisdictions from the Children's Healthy Living Program. Baseline cross-sectional community data were analyzed from 11 jurisdictions categorized by World Bank Income levels to describe exposure to different food and PA outlets. The Children's Healthy Living Program was a multilevel, multijurisdictional prevalence study and community intervention trial that reduced child obesity in the US-Affiliated Pacific region. US-Affiliated Pacific region. Food (n = 426) and PA (n = 552) Outlets. Physical activity and food scores that reflect the quality of the outlets that support being physically active and healthy eating options, respectively. Descriptive statistics are presented as means ± SD or percentages. High-income-income level jurisdictions had higher food and PA scores than middle-income level jurisdictions. The US-Affiliated Pacific region has limited quality food and PA outlets in underserved communities at risk for obesity. The findings in this paper can be used to develop tools and design interventions to improve the food and PA environment to increase a healthier, active lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the potential of theater as part of an undergraduate community nutrition course in shaping students' attitudes, beliefs, and empathy toward individuals experiencing food insecurity and living in poverty. The benefits of arts-based curricula has been well-documented in other health and social service disciplines. Theater, poetry, and art can broaden students' understanding of complex social problems, foster engagement, and promote empathy. These skills and capabilities are important for nutrition educators. However, few studies have investigated the potential role of arts-based education in nutrition/dietetics coursework, and to our knowledge, no studies have been published to-date on the use of theater. Students (n = 11) enrolled in an undergraduate community nutrition course at a small university in New England. All were majoring in either nutrition or public health. Students attended a theatrical performance that addressed everyday experiences of families living in poverty and confronted a wide range of social issues connected to food insecurity. After the performance, students were given a reflection paper assignment. The evaluation was a mixed methods design with both qualitative and quantitative components. Reflection papers were analyzed for themes. Perceptions on individuals in poverty (pre/post) was assessed by the validated Undergraduate Perceptions of Poverty Tracking Survey (UPPTS) and analyzed using paired t-tests. After attending the performance, perceptions on those living in poverty improved. Common themes discussed in reflection papers revealed greater awareness of stressors and barriers to accessing resources. Lower mean survey score on Likert-scale of 1-5 indicated greater overall empathy, and likelihood of viewing the underlying causes of poverty related to lack of resources and opportunity (2.2 + 0.4 vs 1.9 + 0.4), P <.05. Theater can provide nutrition students with new insights and perspectives that can potentially broaden their understanding of complex social and environmental factors that influence nutrition-related behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is the position of the American Dietetic Association (ADA), School Nutrition Association (SNA), and Society for Nutrition Education (SNE) that comprehensive, integrated nutrition services in schools, kindergarten through grade 12, are an essential component of coordinated school health programs and will improve the nutritional status, health, and academic performance of our nation's children. Local school wellness policies may strengthen comprehensive nutrition services by encouraging multidisciplinary wellness teams, composed of school and community members, to work together in identifying local school needs, developing feasible strategies to address priority areas, and integrating comprehensive nutrition services with a coordinated school health program. This joint position paper affirms schools as an important partner in health promotion. To maximize the impact of school weliness policies on strengthening comprehensive, integrated nutrition services in schools nationwide, ADA, SNA, and SNE recommend specific strategies in the following key areas: nutrition education and promotion, food and nutrition programs available on the school campus, school-home-community partnerships, and nutrition-related health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: As part of a national effort to prevent and control obesity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Nutrition and Physical Activity Program to Prevent Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases (NPAO) provides funding to states to improve access to healthful food and increase opportunities for physical activity. The CDC also provides funding to states to build Coordinated School Health (CSH) programs across agencies and within schools to help reduce chronic disease risk factors. This paper investigates the possible role of these programs in state policy change. Methods: Descriptive study of state legislation targeting obesity prevention passed in 2005. Units of analysis were 135 pieces of obesity-related state legislation identified within 4 legislative databases. Legislation was coded into programmatic setting and obesity-prevention strategy categories. Results: On average, states receiving NPAO or CSH program funding passed twice as many bills as states not yet funded. Conclusions and Implications: The statewide obesity prevention and school health programs may have contributed to states enacting more obesity-related legislation. Further research into the process by which state programs influence the enactment and effective implementation of policies could help build the evidence base for policy changes that help prevent obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the various academic papers published in the journal (referred to as JNE) between 1978 and 1987. It examines the environmental context of publication and the management and editorial leadership of the journal. The increased attention on nutrition education in the U.S. in the 1980s is discussed, including the more frequent use of surveys by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The editors of the journal during the time period are mentioned, such as Helen Ullrich, Susan M. Oace, and Laura Sims. Conferences which were the origin of JNE supplements are also discussed, including "The National Conference on Nutrition Education: Directions for the '80s" and "Nutrition Education Research: Applying Principles from the Behavioral Sciences."

The United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition (SCN) is a forum where United Nations (UN) agencies, bilateral partners, and nongovernmental agencies meet to harmonize and coordinate nutrition policy and programs. This report reviews the positions taken regarding nutrition education throughout SCN publications, annual sessions, and thematic working groups. The first Nutrition Policy Paper, published in 1985, was a State-of-the-Art Review that investigated 6 aspects of a nutrition education system. Later SCN publications and meetings have further addressed how to conduct effective nutrition education to maximize impact. For nutrition education to be worthwhile, it must reach significant audiences and lead to behavioral change, conditions which in turn require feasibility studies and investments in terms of personnel and resources. The SCN plays an important role to these ends through: 1) the advocacy opportunity offered by the SCN Annual Session; 2) the expertise of the working groups; and 3) the dissemination channels offered by the SCN publications and Web site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To design and pilot a questionnaire for assessing youth attitudes about the food system. Design: Nutrition educators provided important topics for food system education through a survey using the Delphi method. The resulting questionnaire of attitude scales was piloted with high school students. Setting: The Delphi survey of nutrition educators was conducted through the mail and electronically. A paper and pencil questionnaire was administered to high school students in Family and Consumer Science classes. Participants: Delphi participants were members of the Society for Nutrition Education's Division of Sustainable Food Systems. A convenience sample of high school students completed the pilot questionnaire. Variables Measured: Scales measured attitudes about farmland protection, participation in the local food system, hunger in the United States, organic agriculture, and environmental issues related to food. Analysis: Factor analysis was used to identify constructs. The internal consistency of each resulting scale was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Results: Reliability of attitude scales ranged from .59 to .73. Conclusions and Implications: Attitude scales were created for the purpose of assessing youth thoughts and beliefs about the local or regional food system. Such assessments can serve as a starting point for food system educators interested in developing effective curricula on food system topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the announcement of the winner of the 2006 Graduate Student Research Competition award sponsored by the Nutrition Education Research Interest Section of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN). L. Suzanne Goodell won the award for her paper entitled "Parental Perceptions of Preschool Overweight: A Qualitative Examination." Goodell is a graduate student in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Connecticut and is advised by Ann M. Ferris, who is also a co-author of the paper along with Carolina M. Bravo and Michelle B. Pierce.

The article discusses the presence of nutritional information on the Internet and says that many items published by the publication are also available online. About 80% of all U.S. Internet users have used the Internet to find health information. For this reason it is important for nutrition experts to publish their papers online and to make sure that Internet users understand and use the food pyramid..

This paper presents an overview of the articles discussed in the issue of the journal. The goals for the 4 articles that are presented are to advance understanding of the life course perspective and its relevance to food choice and to foster new research in nutrition education at the intersection of life course and food choice. The first 2 articles orient the readers toward the concepts of the life course and their relevance to health, nutrition, and food choice. Meanwhile, the second 2 articles present empirical research that makes use of frameworks and concepts from the life course perspective.

This paper provides an overview of the articles published in the journal, which describe and illustrate how a life course perspective can provide an engaging, interdisciplinary means of understanding how food- and nutrition-related behaviors change across the life span of individuals. The life course perspective is common in sociology, but it is easy to see why data limitations make it challenging for nutrition researchers to appropriately develop and validate measures for 7 key life course constructs described as trajectories, transitions, turning points, culture and contextual influences, timing in lives, linked lives, and adaptive strategies.