Prevalence and Implementation Characteristics of Weekend Food Assistance Programs in U.S. Schools

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Public Health
• Childhood Food Security

Background:

• Limited understanding of community-led nutrition programs for children.
• National efforts to align nutrition and food assistance priorities.
• Need to assess implementation of school-based hunger mitigation efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• Estimate U.S. public school participation in weekend backpack programs (WBPs).
• Document the operational structure of WBPs.
• Identify characteristics of WBPs offering more nutritious food options.

Main Methods:

• State-stratified random sampling of 413 U.S. public schools for WBP participation prevalence.
• Administrator surveys at 49 schools for implementation and nutritional quality.
• Multivariable-adjusted linear regression to explore associations between program characteristics and food nutritional quality (Healthy Eating Index-2015).

Main Results:

• Over half of U.S. public schools (53.7%) participate in WBPs.
• WBPs often affiliated with anti-hunger organizations (41%), led by school staff/volunteers (55%), and grant-funded (51%).
• Average Healthy Eating Index-2015 score of foods offered was 58.4, comparable to children's typical diets; 41% accessed nutrition resources.

Conclusions:

• WBPs are prevalent in U.S. schools, indicating significant perceived food needs and community efforts to address weekend hunger.
• Decentralized structures and lack of dedicated funding characterize many WBPs.
• Further research on WBP food procurement and nutritional impact is essential for advancing nutrition and food security goals.