An Examination of Local School Wellness Policies in Virginia

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dc.contributor.authorGolliher, Steven Michaelen
dc.contributor.committeechairSerrano, Elena L.en
dc.contributor.committeememberHosig, Kathryn W.en
dc.contributor.committeememberRedican, Kerry J.en
dc.contributor.departmentHuman Nutrition, Foods, and Exerciseen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T20:35:53Zen
dc.date.adate2008-06-17en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T20:35:53Zen
dc.date.issued2008-05-07en
dc.date.rdate2008-06-17en
dc.date.sdate2008-05-09en
dc.description.abstractIn response to the dramatic increase in the prevalence of childhood overweight, a provision of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 required school divisions participating in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs to adopt local school wellness policies (LWP) by the fall of 2006. The local school wellness policies were to include guidelines for nutrition education, physical education (PE) and physical activity, and foods offered on campus. The purpose of this study was two-fold: 1) compare and contrast proposed goals versus adopted policies in Virginia; and 2) analyze the rigor of LWPs in Virginia. All LWPs in Virginia were reviewed with each item scored as required or recommended and specific or broad. Chi-square analyses were used to compare policies that were proposed and adopted. Eighty-one local wellness policies were matched to goals. In general, school divisions did not adopt as many policies as proposed. LWPs met only the minimum requirements mandated. Only 56 (69.1%) had policy language for more than one category in each of the three areas studied with nutrition education policies more popular than physical education/physical activity and nutrition guidelines. For example, 60 schools adopted policies to promote classroom nutrition education, whereas no LWPs contained policy language to improve PE teacher-student ratio. Further, specificity proved to be a concern. The results suggest that while schools may be meeting the minimum requirements, the LWPs may not be promoting school health to the degree intended.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.identifier.otheretd-05092008-151407en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-05092008-151407/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/32449en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartSMGolliherThesis.pdfen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectschool wellness policiesen
dc.subjectnutrition educationen
dc.subjectfooden
dc.subjectphysical activityen
dc.subjectphysical educationen
dc.titleAn Examination of Local School Wellness Policies in Virginiaen
dc.typeThesisen
thesis.degree.disciplineHuman Nutrition, Foods, and Exerciseen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen
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