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Completed

NCT Number: NCT05605483

Salad Bars in the National School Lunch Program: Impact on Dietary Consumption Patterns in Elementary School Students

This project is a research study looking at what foods students choose and eat during school lunch and examines how salad bars impact what children eat.

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Key information

Conditions

Diet, Food, and Nutrition

Age range

5 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Healthy Lifestyles Center at the Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU

Henrico, Virginia, 23229, United States

About this study

This project applies a wait list control cluster randomized controlled trial to evaluate school salad bars. This project uses digital images (pictures) of labeled trays in the cafeteria before and after children eat lunch. This project also asks cafeteria workers about their thoughts about salad bars and their experiences with the salad bar program.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Students: All K-6th grade students at target schools who participate in the school lunch program on rating day
  • Cafeteria staff: All cafeteria personnel at the randomly selected target schools will be eligible to complete surveys

Exclusion criteria

  • Students: Unsure sex of child
  • Cafeteria staff: None

Treatment and study plan

Salad bar

Other

Schools where the school district has installed salad bars

Waitlisted control

Other

Schools where the school district has not yet installed salad bars

Salad bar post-COVID

Other

Schools where the school distract has re-opened salad bars will have methods repeated in a subset of schools post-COVID-19

Primary outcomes

  1. fruits and vegetables (FV) selection

    Time frame: Baseline to up to 6 weeks after salad bars installed

    Amount of FV selection will be calculated based on digital photographs of student's lunch trays before consumption

  2. FV consumption

    Time frame: Baseline to up to 6 weeks after salad bars installed

    Amount of FV consumed will be calculated by subtracting amount of FV remaining after lunch is consumed from amount of FV selected based on digital photographs of student's lunch trays before and after consumption.

Secondary outcomes

  1. energy intake (kcal)

    Time frame: Baseline to up to 6 weeks after salad bars installed

    Amount of calories consumed will be calculated by subtracting the total amount of calories remaining on trays from the total amount of calories initially selected based on digital photographs of student's lunch trays before and after consumption.

  2. dietary quality (Healthy Eating Index)

    Time frame: Baseline to up to 6 weeks after salad bars installed

    the Healthy Eating Index will be calculated for food and beverages consumed at lunch (amount on the tray before minus after consumption) using NDSR

  3. fruits and vegetables (FV) selection post-COVID-19

    Time frame: 4-6 weeks after salad bars re-installed

    To examine the the impact of salad bars on student dietary intake patterns after their reintroduction post-COVID-19 school closures. Amount of FV selection will be calculated based on digital photographs of student's lunch trays before consumption

  4. FV consumption post-COVID-19

    Time frame: 4-6 weeks after salad bars re-installed

    To examine the the impact of salad bars on student dietary intake patterns after their reintroduction post-COVID-19 school closures. Amount of FV consumed will be calculated by subtracting amount of FV remaining after lunch is consumed from amount of FV selected based on digital photographs of student's lunch trays before and after consumption.

  5. energy intake (kcal) post-COVID-19

    Time frame: 4-6 weeks after salad bars re-installed

    To examine the the impact of salad bars on student dietary intake patterns after their reintroduction post-COVID-19 school closures. Amount of calories consumed will be calculated by subtracting the total amount of calories remaining on trays from the total amount of calories initially selected based on digital photographs of student's lunch trays before and after consumption.

  6. dietary quality (Healthy Eating Index) post-COVID-19

    Time frame: 4-6 weeks after salad bars re-installed

    To examine the the impact of salad bars on student dietary intake patterns after their reintroduction post-COVID-19 school closures. The Healthy Eating Index will be calculated for food and beverages consumed at lunch (amount on the tray before minus after consumption) using NDSR

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Virginia Commonwealth University

Other

Collaborators

  • George Mason University
  • The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
  • University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2023
Study completion
2023
First posted
Nov 4, 2022
Registry last updated
Aug 2, 2023

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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