Predictors of Participation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Summer Meal Programs: An Examination of Outreach Strategies and Meal Distribution Methods During COVID-19

AJPM Focus · 7 authors, 7 centres

AI SUMMARY

FIDELITY 100%

This summary was generated by AI from a single paper. It has not been reviewed by a clinician and is not clinical advice. Verify against the source before acting on it.

AGENT 01 · STRUCTURED SUMMARY

TRACE TO SOURCE

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TL;DR

This cross-sectional study of Connecticut summer meal programs in 2021 found that operational flexibility, specifically sites being open more hours per week and distributing multiple meals at once, was associated with greater meal distribution, while targeted state-level outreach efforts were not.

Full summary

271 CHARS

In contrast, targeted state-level outreach efforts like billboards were not associated with increased participation. A key limitation is that the study was conducted during the second summer of the pandemic, and participation may have been elevated due to increased need.

STUDY TYPE

cross-sectional

SPECIALTY

public health

SUMMARISED BY

AI pipeline

FIDELITY CHECK

100% · A

ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10546601

Predictors of Participation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Summer Meal Programs: An Examination of Outreach Strategies and Meal Distribution Methods During COVID-19

AJPM Focus

READ THE FULL PAPER

ABSTRACT

HIGHLIGHTS • Pandemic-related waivers allowed more flexible operations for summer meal programs. • Sites that were open more hours per week had greater rates of meal distribution. • Sites that gave parents multiple meals at each visit higher average participation. • Targeted outreach efforts were not associated with increased participation. • Several operational waivers should be considered for permanent regulation change.

CITATION EXPORT

Brooke L. Bennett, Juliana F.W. Cohen, Tatiana Andreyeva et al.. Predictors of Participation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Summer Meal Programs: An Examination of Outreach Strategies and Meal Distribution Methods During COVID-19. AJPM Focus. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.focus.2023.100124

AUTHORS

7 · 7 CENTRES

Brooke L. Bennett, Juliana F.W. Cohen, Tatiana Andreyeva, Julia Esposito, Kara Burkholder, Sandra M. Chafouleas, Marlene B. Schwartz

1Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health, University of Connecticut, Hartford, Connecticut
2Center for Health Inclusion, Research and Practice (CHIRP), Merrimack College, North Andover, Massachusetts
3Department of Public Health and Nutrition, Merrimack College, North Andover, Massachusetts
4Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
5Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health, University of Connecticut, Hartford, Connecticut
6Department of Educational Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
7Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut