A new study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics provides insights into the costs of implementing Water First, a school-based water promotion program shown to prevent overweight in children. Researchers analyzed the program's expenses from the school's perspective over one academic year in six San Francisco Bay Area public schools. The study found that the Water First program cost $20 per student for school-wide interventions—such as installing water stations and dispensers in cafeterias and high-traffic areas and a school-wide water promotion campaign—and $131 per student for classroom-level efforts—including students and teachers receiving reusable water bottles, lesson, and materials for school and home. When accounting for the long-term use of water stations, the annualized cost of the school-wide intervention dropped to $11 per student. These findings offer valuable guidance for schools and policymakers looking to invest in cost-effective strategies that improve student health by increasing access to drinking water. The study was conducted by researchers from the Nutrition Policy Institute, Stanford University, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Rush Medical College, University of California, San Francisco, and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (awards K24HL169841 and R01HL129288).
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New study evaluates costs of school-based water promotion program
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NPI releases research brief on challenges of transitioning from free school meals for all students in Texas schools
A recent research brief developed by the Nutrition Policy Institute highlights the impact of the end of federal waivers on Texas school meal programs, allowing school meals to be served free of charge. During the transition away from federal waivers in the 2022-23 school year, NPI researchers surveyed 367 Texas food service directors and other food service personnel. Survey responses highlighted the significant challenges food service directors faced after the end of federal waivers, including reduced meal participation, financial instability, and operational concerns. School food authorities reported the need for financial assistance to support technical assistance and training, as well as operational improvements to make meals more appealing and engaging for both students and parents. Further, these findings emphasize the need for continued support from federal and state programs to help maintain effective school meal programs. This research was funded to evaluate California's Universal School Meals through CA SB 170 (2021), CA SB 154 (2022), and CA SB 101 (2023).
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Top health experts release new drink recommendations for kids and teens’ overall health
Experts from leading health and nutrition organizations recommend kids and teens drink plain water, plain pasteurized milk, and limited amounts of 100% fruit and vegetable juice for optimal nutrition and hydration. Other beverages like plant-based milk alternatives and flavored milks should be limited, while sugar-sweetened beverages, beverages with non-sugar sweeteners, and beverages with caffeine or other stimulants should be avoided. These evidence-based recommendations were developed as part of a collaboration by experts from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Heart Association under the leadership of Healthy Eating Research and with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The same organizations convened in 2019 to release healthy beverage guidelines for 0- to 5-year-olds that are used by clinicians, registered dietitian nutritionists, dentists, public health departments, parents, and caregivers across the country. The full recommendations and accompanying technical report can be found at healthyeatingresearch.org. This site will also contain a set of infographics in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Tagalog covering different topics included in the recommendations, such as tips for swapping out drinks with added sugars, understanding caffeine levels in different drinks, and finding the right plant-based milk alternative for children who might be allergic to plain milk or who are vegan. Nutrition Policy Institute's Lorrene Ritchie participated in the expert panel that developed recommendations.
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Study finds school-based water promotion programs impact children differently based on food insecurity
A recent study highlights how food insecurity may influence the effectiveness of school-based programs aimed at reducing childhood obesity by promoting water consumption and reduced sugar-sweetened beverage intake. Researchers found the Water First program—which installed drinking water stations and promoted drinking water intake in 18 low-income San Francisco Bay Area elementary schools—prevented overweight and increased water intake among over 1,000 fourth-grade students involved in the study. However, a deeper examination of the data revealed that while obesity rates decreased among food-secure students, among food-insecure students there was an increased water intake without a reduction in obesity. Findings emphasize the need to consider food insecurity in future nutrition interventions and strategies. This study was led by Anisha Patel of the Stanford Department of Pediatrics; other members of the study team included Lorrene Ritchie of the Nutrition Policy Institute; Leslie Gerstenfeld and Laura Schmidt of the University of California, San Francisco; Lauren Blacker of the RUSH University Medical College; Charles McCulloch of the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine; and Valeria Ordonez of the Stanford Department of Pediatrics.
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New study shows that long-term investments in community nutrition policies and programs supports healthy food access
A recent study highlights the importance of sustained investment in community nutrition programs and policies to improve healthy food access at home. Children get up to two-thirds of their food from home, making the availability of food in their household a key role in shaping their diets. Using data from the National Institutes of Health's Healthy Communities Study, researchers found neighborhoods with higher and more stable socioeconomic status over 10 years had greater home availability of healthy foods and lower rate of food insecurity. Additionally, greater exposure to nutrition-focused community programming and policies over 10 years was associated with greater home availability of healthy foods, though there was no relationship with food insecurity. Findings highlight the long-term benefits of consistent investment in such programs and policies, regardless of neighborhood socioeconomic status. Study researchers proposed that future actions to support improved food security and healthy food access should focus on addressing disparities in neighborhood socioeconomic status and investing in long-term, community-wide nutrition programs and policies. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, was conducted by Ian-Marshall Lang from the School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Yeonwoo Kim of the Department of Kinesiology, University of Texas at Arlington, Lorrene Ritchie of the Nutrition Policy Institute, Lauren Au of the Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, and Natalie Colabianchi of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan.
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NPI releases CalFresh Healthy Living data briefs for federal fiscal year 2024
A new set of data briefs developed by the Nutrition Policy Institute showcases the impactful programming carried out by local health departments through CalFresh Healthy Living (California's SNAP-Ed program) during federal fiscal year 2024.
- FFY 2024 CalFresh Healthy Living Program At a Glance: Learn more about the community context and overall reach of local health department's CalFresh Healthy Living programming in FFY 2024.
- Policy, Systems, & Environmental Change Efforts: Learn about the audiences local health departments reached with policy, systems and environmental change—commonly known as PSE—efforts, as well as common settings and PSE approaches.
- Educational Activities: Learn about the audiences local health departments reached with CalFresh Healthy Living education, as well as common settings and educational approaches.
- Partnerships & Multi-Sector Coalitions: Learn about the ways local health departments engaged with community partners and multi-sector coalitions to support and sustain impactful CalFresh Healthy Living interventions.
- Assessment of Policies, Practices, & Outcomes: Learn about the PSE practices in place at CalFresh Healthy Living sites as measured by site-level assessment questionnaires, behavioral outcomes of school-based interventions as evaluated via Impact Outcome Evaluation, and outcomes of direct education interventions with adults.
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NPI researchers present at the 45th annual EcoFarm conference
Jan 22, 2025Nutrition Policy Institute researchers Kassandra Bacon and Ron Strochlic present with Hope Sippola of Spork Food Hub at the 2025 annual EcoFarm conference in Pacific Grove, CA. The conference will feature various interactive activities with the aim of "Bringing together farmers, ranchers, and food system workers to inspire each other, and to be the change that makes a difference." Kassandra and Ron will co-present in a workshop on January 23, 3:30-5 p.m. PT titled “Farm to Corrections: Empowering Incarcerated People and Supporting Growers.” The workshop will discuss recent successes, future plans, challenges, and market opportunities for growers based on the Farms to Corrections project.
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Study on Navajo Nation identifies community involvement and cultural traditions as crucial in promoting drinking water access and reducing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in young children
A 2024 paper describes ongoing community-based work to promote consumption of water in place of sugar-sweetened beverages, SSBs, on Navajo Nation. The Navajo community is disproportionately affected by water insecurity with 30% of households lacking reliable drinking water access. These households must get water from local water filling stations, water trucks, unregulated wells and springs, or by buying bottled water. Cost, compromised water safety, or distance from the water source make these options less than ideal. Water insecurity is known to be associated with greater SSB consumption. Even in households with plumbed water, a myriad socio-environmental factors have made SSBs a beverage of choice. The Navajo community experiences high rates of diet-related chronic disease including childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes, which can be connected to high SSB consumption. In an early step, the research team gathered perspectives on water from community members of all ages. These revealed the deeply rooted cultural significance of water in connection to traditional spiritual and family values. The team formed the Water is K'é Community Advisory Group—which includes early education teachers, community activists, cultural experts, health promotion experts, parents, and Navajo elders—and an intervention to increase water consumption in young children was developed. The Diné (Navajo) word K'é refers to the “system of kinship observed between Diné people and all living things in existence,” in other words, among us all and also with water itself. The intervention included nutrition education that incorporates Diné culture by using and teaching Diné words and stories about water. This study also proposed that the focus on culture together with plans to increase water access tailored to individual situations would be effective in promoting healthy beverage habits in young Navajo children. The study was conducted by Carmen George, Brianna John, Rachel Whitman, Shine K. Salt, and Sonya S. Shin from the Division of Global Health Equity, Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Community Outreach and Patient Empowerment Program, COPE, of Navajo Nation in collaboration with Ken Hecht and Christina Hecht from the Nutrition Policy Institute and Laura Vollmer from University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources and numerous community partners. It was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Healthy Eating Research and Notah Begay III Foundation. The intervention is now being tested thanks to funding from the National Institutes of Health.
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New study reveals an association between diet in the first year of life with select nutrient and ultra-processed food consumption in later childhood
A 2024 study analyzing the diets of over 4,300 infants in the United States using the Infant Diet Quality Index, also known as IDQI, revealed associations between diet quality from 0-12 months and select nutrient and ultra-processed food intake later when the children were 2-5 years old. Childhood diet has a strong influence on lifelong dietary habits. Nutrients of concern in the U.S. are vitamin D, calcium, potassium, and dietary fiber. The study showed that at age two, the IDQI score was positively associated with dietary fiber and potassium intake. At age three, the IDQI score was positively associated with dietary fiber, potassium, and calcium intake. At ages four, and five, IDQI scores were positively associated with intake of these and other nutrients. At all ages, IDQI score was negatively associated with added sugars and ultra-processed food intake. The IDQI is a useful predictor of select nutrient intakes in children 2-5 years old. This study was led by Alana Chaney from the University of California, Davis, in collaboration with Lauren Au and Charles Arnold from the University of California, Davis, Lorrene Ritchie from the Nutrition Policy Institute, Edward Frongillo from the University of South Carolina, and Euridice Steele from the University of São Paulo. It was funded by the National Heart, Lung, And Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, the US Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the University of California Office of the President Historically Black Colleges and Universities Fellowship.
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Job opening: Cooperative Extension Specialist and Director Nutrition Policy Institute at the University of California
The University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources invites applications for a UC Cooperative Extension Specialist to become the next Director of the Nutrition Policy Institute. The Director leads strategic food and nutrition policy research, cultivates partnerships, identifies and secures grant funding, and provides overall leadership and operational oversight of the Nutrition Policy Institute. This position is based in Oakland, CA, and is focused on work across the state as well as nationally. The beginning salary will be in the Cooperative Extension Specialist series, Associate Step 1 $109,000 to Full Title Specialist Step VI $184,500 and commensurate with applicable experience and professional qualifications. The Cooperative Extension position is a two- or three-year renewable term appointment and is eligible for indefinite status (no end) after three terms. The position has been re-posted with a requirement of 5 years of experience (rather than 10 years) and a new deadline of February 16, 2025 for application packets to be received to assure full consideration. More information on how to apply is available online. Questions? Contact Tatiana Avoce – email: tavoce@ucanr.edu. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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2024 LEAP Awards recognize excellence in healthy eating and active living across California
The Nutrition Policy Institute's CalFresh Healthy Living Evaluation team, in collaboration with the California Department of Public Health, is thrilled to announce recognition of 129 schools, 79 early care and education programs, and 77 out-of-school time programs across California as recipients of the 2024 Leaders in Eating and Activity Practices, or LEAP, Awards. LEAP Awards recognize schools, early care and education programs, and out-of-school time programs that demonstrate achievement of best practices that support healthy eating and active living, as reported on a Site-Level Assessment Questionnaire. Awardees partner with their local health department's CalFresh Healthy Living program to plan and implement health promotion projects. We applaud these sites, and their Local Health Department partners, for their dedication to supporting the health and well-being of the children and youth they serve! For more information about LEAP Awards, visit the LEAP award web page or email EvaluateSNAPEd@ucanr.edu.
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New policy brief provides evidence for additional CACFP meal reimbursements for childcare providers
A new policy brief provides evidence supporting the need for an increase in the number of reimbursable meals and snacks under the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program, also known as CACFP, from three to four per child daily. CACFP provides nutritious meals to nearly 625,000 children attending family childcare homes nationwide, primarily from lower-income families. However, it currently reimburses providers for a daily maximum of only two meals and one snack per child. Research by the Nutrition Policy Institute, CACFP Roundtable, and UC Berkeley involved surveys collected from over 250 California family childcare providers in 2024. Findings revealed that providers typically serve at least four meals/snacks daily but struggle financially due to limited reimbursements. Two-thirds of providers expressed a desire for reimbursements to cover four or more meals/snacks, while one-third worried about children going hungry without CACFP meals, highlighting the program's critical role in ensuring child food security. The brief recommends increasing CACFP reimbursements to four meals/snacks to support child nutrition and food security. Interviews with providers, families, and sponsors further highlight the program's critical impact. Read the full brief for more insights. This work was supported by a grant from Healthy Eating Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the California Collaborative for Pandemic Recovery and Readiness Research Program which was funded by the California Department of Public Health.
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NPI awarded Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Healthy Eating Research program funding to pilot-test a peer navigator intervention for the Child and Adult Care Food Program
Nutrition Policy Institute researchers were awarded funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Healthy Eating Research program's 2024 call for proposals. NPI's Lorrene Ritchie, in collaboration with the CACFP Roundtable and Susana Matias at the University of California, Berkeley, received funding for a project titled, “Pilot-testing a peer navigator intervention for the Child and Adult Care Food Program to bridge a gap in nutrition supports in family childcare”. The Child and Adult Care Food Program, commonly known as CACFP, has the potential to improve food security, diet quality, and financial stability for low-income families, but participation among family child care homes in California is limited due to administrative burdens. The project aims to develop and pilot a peer navigator intervention, co-designed with CACFP stakeholders, to increase family child care home claiming and retention and bridge access disparities with newly enrolled providers. Only 7 grants were awarded this cycle.
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Nutrition Policy Institute launches new Spanish-language webpages to enhance accessibility for Spanish-speaking communities
The Nutrition Policy Institute has launched three new Spanish-language web pages, designed to better serve our Spanish-speaking research participants and increase accessibility to and inclusion of the greater Spanish-speaking community. These new pages provide essential information about NPIs mission, vision, and how our research has supported major policy milestones in California and nationally, and to share existing NPI Spanish-language resources. The web pages include:
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NPI in Spanish, NPI en Español, describes NPI, our mission and vision, and our work in conducting and evaluating research related to the impact of nutrition and physical activity on public health.
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Our Impact, Nuestro Impacto, describes how NPI's research provides influential evidence that shapes federal, state and local nutrition programs and highlights contributions to several programs and policy wins.
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Resources, Recursos, includes Spanish-language online trainings, news articles, infographics and policy briefs developed by NPI.
These pages reflect NPI's ongoing efforts to increase inclusivity, accessibility, and engagement with Spanish-speaking audiences. We invite you to explore the pages and share them with your networks.
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Join us today on Giving Tuesday to support the Nutrition Policy Institute Student Fellowship
Join us today on Giving Tuesday to support the Nutrition Policy Institute Student Fellowship. The fellowship provides invaluable professional experience to undergraduate and graduate students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, including first-generation college students and those with lived experiences of food insecurity or public health nutrition programs. By supporting this fellowship, you're not only investing in the future of nutrition policy but also honoring the legacy of our founding co-director, Patricia Crawford. Since creating the fellowship in 2019, NPI has proudly funded ten fellows whose work helps shape, conduct, and translate policy-relevant research that enriches our California communities by transforming environments for healthy children and families. Your generosity is instrumental in helping us advance this important mission. Donate today!
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Research brief highlights challenges faced by Child and Adult Care Food Program sponsors
A new research brief from the Nutrition Policy Institute, CACFP Roundtable, and University of California, Berkeley highlights the difficulties faced by sponsors of the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program, commonly known as CACFP. CACFP provides nutritious meals to nearly 625,000 children attending participating family childcare homes nationally who are predominantly from families with lower income. Sponsoring organizations serve an integral role in supporting CACFP participation by family childcare homes, yet declining sponsor participation threatens equitable access to this program. Results from interviews with 15 sponsors in California in 2023-2024 identified key challenges. Sponsors reported CACFP administrative reimbursements are inadequate. Limited sponsor reimbursements also hinder hiring and retaining staff, making program oversight challenging. In addition, sponsors reported that monitoring visits, which resumed in-person post-pandemic, are costly, time-intensive, and raise staff safety concerns. This study underscores the need for increased sponsor funding and virtual monitoring options, to strengthen CACFP. Read the full brief for more insights.
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Recent study explores perceptions of Universal School Meals policy by parents across income levels
School meals in the U.S. support 30 million students daily, improving nutrition, academic outcomes, and food security, particularly for disadvantaged households. A recent study led by Juliana Cohen at Merrimack College and Harvard University, in collaboration with the Nutrition Policy Institute and other researchers, surveyed 403 Massachusetts parents of varying income levels during the 2022-2023 school year to understand their perception of a statewide universal free school meals policy. Results showed that 75% of parents, regardless of income, supported the policy and recognized its many benefits, including reduced stress, and saving time and money. Parents also expressed concerns that ending the policy would have negative impacts, including: 1) financial strain on households of all income levels; 2) less food security for families who were eligible for federally funded free or reduced-price meals as well as for students from families who were financially vulnerable even though they would not typically qualify for free or reduced-price meals; and 3) reduced school meal participation for the most financially vulnerable students. Researchers recommend considering expanding universal free school meal policies to additional states and at the national level, as such policies improve access to nutrition across all income groups and promote equity, especially in areas of higher living costs. This study was conducted by Christina Hecht, Kenneth Hecht, Dania Orta-Aleman, Lorrene Ritchie, Monica Zuercher, and Wendi Gosliner with the Nutrition Policy Institute; Juliana Cohen with Merrimack College and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Leah Chapman with Merrimack College; Deborah Olarte with New York University; Leran Minc with Project Bread; Punam Ohri-Vachaspati with Arizona State University; Anisha Patel with Stanford University School of Medicine; and Michele Polacsek with the University of New England.
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New policy briefs highlight the need for expanded shopping options and smartphone app modifications to help WIC participants redeem food benefits
Nutrition Policy Institute, in collaboration with the National WIC Association and Pepperdine University, released two policy briefs encouraging modernization efforts for the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, commonly known as WIC. The briefs recommend implementing expanded access to online purchasing options and farmers market purchases for WIC participants and improving WIC smartphone applications to better align their information with vendor systems to improve users' ability to identify and purchase WIC-approved items efficiently. These recommendations were encouraged to reduce the stigma and difficulties participants experience while shopping for WIC foods and to increase full benefit redemption. Evidence to support these recommendations came from a 2023 survey of over 38,000 WIC participants from 19 states, one Indian Tribal Organization, and one US territory and focus groups held in 2024 with 44 WIC participants in 16 states and one Indian Tribal Organization. This project was funded by the National WIC Association from a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
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New infographic highlights improved dietary intake and physical activity among adults participating in CalFresh Healthy Living
CalFresh Healthy Living aims to improve the health and wellbeing of Californians through interventions that promote healthy eating and active living. Interventions include evidence-based nutrition and physical activity education programs delivered to adults in community settings, like congregate meal sites and parks and recreation facilities. In federal fiscal year 2024, the Nutrition Policy Institute, in partnership with local health departments, evaluated series-based education programs. To measure program outcomes, participants self-reported their dietary and physical behaviors on a survey before and after the program. An infographic developed by the Nutrition Policy Institute describes these adult participants and summarizes changes in their behaviors. The infographic demonstrates a number of behavior changes, including:
- Vegetable intake increased by 0.5 cups per day
- Fruit intake increased by 0.5 cups per day
- Drinking soda 'often or everyday' decreased by 58%
- The number of participants meeting the recommendation of 2+ days of muscle strengthening activity/week increased by 47%
Learn more about NPI's work to evaluate CalFresh Healthy Living.
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New infographic highlights improved dietary intake and physical activity among students participating in CalFresh Healthy Living
CalFresh Healthy Living aims to improve students' health and wellbeing through interventions that promote healthy eating and physical activity. In 2023-24, 92 school and school-based after school sites partnered with the local health department in their county to implement and evaluate CalFresh Healthy Living Programming. To measure program outcomes, students reported their dietary intake and physical activity behaviors on a self-administered survey before and after the programming. An infographic developed by the Nutrition Policy Institute describes the sample of students who participated in the evaluation and summarizes changes in their nutrition and physical activity behaviors. The infographic demonstrates a number of behavior changes, including:
- Whole fruit consumption increased by 0.5 times per day
- Sugary drink consumption decreased by 0.5 times per day
- The number of students achieving 60min of daily physical activity increased by 16%
Learn more about NPI's work to evaluate the CalFresh Healthy Living program.
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