Poor variety and poor quality food choices are the main reason why inner-city high school students do not participate in school lunch programs

Background: The food served in school for lunch directly affects the health status of the children in the population. The goal of this research was to identify why students choose to participate or not participate in school lunch. Methods: A sample of students from three inner-city high schools (all with >90% students eligible for free or reduced cost lunch) were selected to take a survey that consisted of 11 questions asking about participation in the school lunch. The survey was developed using focus groups and validated prior to use in the research. Results: There are a total of 2,377 students at the three high schools, and 535 (22.5 %) students participated in the survey. Respondents included: 241 (51%) males and 233 (49%) females. Most students, 396 (75%), indicated they ate lunch at school, while 130 (25%) responded that they did not. The two top reasons given for not participating were poor quality 77 (59%) and poor variety 76 (58%) of the school food. Those who did not eat lunch either waited to eat at home or got food from the vending machines at school. Most students indicated that what the food looks like affects the decision: 229 (44%) affects it a lot, 241 (46%) affects it a little. Conclusions: Poor quality and poor variety are often cited as reasons why students do not participate in a school lunch. What the food looks like affects student's decision to eat the food.