268119 Junk food consumption in Jewish middle schools

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Mendel E. Singer, PhD , Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
Leslie Cofie, MA, MPH , Department of Health Behavior, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Scott Frank, MD, MS , Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
Kristina Knight, MPH , Master of Public Health Program, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
Laura E. Santurri, PhD, MPH, CPH , Master of Public Health Program, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
Background: Orthodox Jews typically use treat foods for rewards in school and at home. Community-specific data is useful to demonstrate need for interventions and guide their design. Methods: Surveys were administered to all 7th-8th graders at all Jewish middle schools (3 Orthodox, 1 Conservative, 1 non-denominational) in Cuyahoga County (Cleveland, OH). To protect school identification, students were grouped by family religious identity: Non-Orthodox (NO), Modern Orthodox (MO) and Centrist/Ultra-Orthodox (CUO). Variables: consumption of junk food (chips/sweets/desserts) 2+daily; importance of eating less junk food to self, friends (1-5 scale); access(home, school: 1-5 scales); encouragement to eat less junk food (parents, teachers);sex. Modified Poisson and ordinary regression models were used. Results: 241 surveys(82% of total enrolled; 86 NO, 94 MO, 61 CUO) were complete. Only CUO(RR=3.0, p=.0085) and home junk food(RR=2.6, p=.0026) were associated with high junk food consumption. Nevertheless, many factors were associated with importance of eating less junk food: Parent(.38, p=.0066) and teacher(.52, p=.0027) encouragement, female(.56, p<.0001) and home junk food(-.33, p=.0217), and borderline significance for importance to friends(.40, p=.0538). Sex and Religious identification were not associated with home junk food. School junk food was more common in the Orthodox, MO(.54, p=.0006) and CUO(.35, p=.0444). Conclusions: Orthodox schools were more likely to have junk food regularly available. However, high junk food consumption was not driven by school availability, attitude or influences, but by regular availability at home and family religious identity. Interventions should target the home more than the school.

Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Diversity and culture
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Identify the factors associated with importance of eating less chips/sweets/desserts in students attending Jewish middle schools. Identify the factors associated with high consumption of chips/sweets/desserts in students attending Jewish middle schools.

Keywords: Food and Nutrition, Faith Community

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a professor of public health with years of experience in the design and analysis of surveys, and with over 20 years of community service in the Jewish community.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.