Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #115266

Gail M. Woodward-Lopez, MPH, RD¹, Annie S. Vargas, MPH¹, Cheryl Proctor, MBA¹, Sarah Kim¹, Lisa Diemoz¹, Mary V. Lussier, MPH, RD², and Patricia B. Crawford, DrPH, RD³. (1) Center for Weight and Health, University of California, Berkeley, 3 Giannini Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-3100, 510-642-1599, gwlopez@nature.berkeley.edu, (2) Nutrition Services Division, California Department of Education, 560 J St. Suite 270, Sacramento, CA 95814, (3) Department of Nutritional Sciences and Center for Weight and Health, University of California, Berkeley, 9 Morgan Hall, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3104

PURPOSE: In response to the obesity epidemic, the California legislature passed the Pupil Nutrition, Health and Achievement Act of 2001 (SB 19/56). As a result, the California Departments of Education (CDE) and Food and Agriculture (CDFA) provided grants to 16 middle and high schools in 9 school districts to pilot test the implementation of SB 19/56. As one part of a multi-component evaluation design, an analysis was conducted to determine the fiscal impact of implementing SB 19/56. METHODS: Data was collected over a 2-year period describing meal program participation rates and monthly revenues and expenditures for reimbursable meals, food service a la carte, vending machines and student stores. In order to assess the nature and timing of the interventions that might have contributed to the fiscal impacts, stakeholder interviews were conducted, a timeline of key intervention components was generated, and progress reports and other supporting documents were reviewed. FINDINGS: Most of the districts experienced increases in food service total per capita gross revenues that were due primarily to increases in reimbursable meal sales that more than compensated for decreases in a la carte sales. Increases in expenditures appeared to be offset by increases in revenues, although most schools were able to report expenditure data only qualitatively. With a few notable exceptions, other venues experienced decreases in net revenues, probably due to a shift toward meal sales. The interventions that contributed to these fiscal impacts will be discussed as well as the implications for school policies to control competitive food and beverage sales.

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