EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF SCHOOL BREAKFAST AND LUNCH

• Sponsoring Institution: Economic Research Service/USDA
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: USDA COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0406648
• Project Start Date: Oct 1, 2001
• Project End Date: Jul 1, 2004
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
USDA/ERS
1800 M STREET NW
WASHINGTON,DC 20036

Performing Department
ECONOMIC RESEARCH SERVICE

Non Technical Summary
This project will investigate effects of the School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program on participants food security and nutrition outcomes using both clinical and interview data.

Animal Health Component

90%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

10%

Applied

90%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
610	5010	3010	100%

Knowledge Area
610 - Domestic Policy Analysis;

Subject Of Investigation
5010 - Food;

Field Of Science
3010 - Economics;

Keywords

food programs

school lunches

child nutrition

food intake

food economics

food supply

security

school breakfasts

social impact

public policies

policy analysis

social economics

interviews

data analysis

food consumption

food consumption surveys

human health

demography

program participation

regression analysis

Goals / Objectives
To investigate effects of the School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program on participants food security and nutrition outcomes using both clinical and interview data.

Project Methods
The research will primarily rely on the 3rd National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) and NHANES IV. Multiple outcome measures will be examined including meal consumption measures, clinical measures, dietary recall measures, and food insecurity measures. The main objective of the study is to assess the causal impact of National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) availability and participation on various nutritional outcomes. The selectivity bias problem in estimating the effect of these programs is addressed by an identification strategy exploiting the fact that most school systems are not in session year round, and thus students do not receive the nutrition programs year round. Children who have SBP available, for example, but are interviewed during the summer are compared with those who have SBP available but are interviewed during the school year. Regression analysis is used to control for important determinants of clinical outcomes and participation such as age, gender, and race.

Progress 10/01/01 to 07/01/04

Outputs
Two reports were published in 2004 (see ouputs).

Impacts
Results from the project gave a better understanding of the relationship between provision of school breakfast and children's nutritional outcomes.

Publications

• Bhattacharya, J., Currie, J., Haider, S., 2004, Breakfast of Champions? The School Breakfast Program and the Nutrition of Children and Families, Working paper w10608, National Bureau of Economic Research, July, pp.
• Bhattacharya, J., Currie, J., and Haider, S.J., 2004, Evaluating the Impact of School Nutrition Programs: Final Report, Food and Nutrition Research Report, E-FAN 04-008, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, July, 48 pp.