Approximately 1/3 of the children in the United States are overweight or obese. Children in Mississippi have the highest rate of obesity among all other states. The outcome of this epidemic presents an increase in poor health. To address the problems associated with overweight and obesity among children, schools in the U.S. were required to develop school wellness policies. School principals were identified as key individuals in overseeing the development and implementation of the policies. Existing research studies show a strong relationship or association between student health and academic achievement. The purpose of this research study was to investigate elementary school principals’ perceptions related to the implementation of school wellness policies. The study sought to examine principals’ perceptions regarding physical activity, child nutrition, health education, and general beliefs about school health policy implementation. A web-based survey was sent to 670 elementary school principals with 123 (18%) responding. The majority of the respondents were White females who had served four or more years as principals, had average enrollments of 500 students at their schools, and had school ratings of successful or high performing. Positive weak correlations were found to exist between school accountability ratings and principals’ beliefs that physical activity promotes improved test scores and that physical activity and healthful nutrition promote increased school attendance. Positive weak correlations were also found between school accountability ratings and principals’ beliefs that physical activity, child nutrition, and health education promote improved classroom behavior.

In 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. / Master of Science

With the passage of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, all schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program are required to establish local wellness policies to address childhood obesity. In the state of Kentucky, Senate Bill 172 requires all elementary schools to adopt a local wellness policy addressing competitive foods, healthy choices, and daily physical activity. This study measured federal and state compliance among schools that responded to the 2008 Kentucky School Nutrition Survey. This study analyzed differences in the school nutrition environment among policies based on data from the 2002 and 2008 Kentucky School Nutrition surveys. The majority of school wellness policies were compliant with both federal and state guidelines. Significant differences in the school environment include a reduction in the availability of vending machines, decreased percentage of teachers using food as a reward, and increased use by teachers of non food items as a reward. Significant differences were not found among foods offered in vending machines, snack bars, and classroom parties. In 2008, elementary schools provided an average of 174 minutes of physical activity weekly, which is above the recommended guideline of 150 minutes per week.