Abstract
ABSTRACTBackground: The United States (US) is currently facing a public health crisis due to the percentage of obesity in adolescents. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) stated the risks for children due to obesity are many. Adolescents obtain a large portion of their daily caloric intake at school; therefore, what foods/drinks they are consuming is so serious.Objective: To identify and analyze literature on the effects of competitive foods in public schools on adolescent weight, or Body Mass Index (BMI), and possible impacts they may have on adolescent obesity in the United States.Methods: An integrative systematic review of literature was conducted. The literature was collected in CINAHL, MEDLINE and EMBASE databases. Refined keyword search is further detailed in the report. Year restrictions were 2006–2017 from peer-reviewed journals and published in English, including adolescents 13–18 years old in the US. Criteria for inclusion targeted at least one of (1) sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), (2) competitive foods, (3) commercial foods, (4) vending machines, (5) al a carte venues, and (6) school stores, examining their associations with weight measurements, using either weight or BMI, or caloric intake analysis.Results: A total of 164 articles were detected and assessed, for a final analysis of 34 full text articles. Twenty-six articles met the inclusion criteria. Common aspects of interest involved BMI/Obesity/Weight (73%), (58%) examined Calorie density or consumption, (77%) discussed the Availability of competitive foods in schools, (54%) included Analysis of competitive food, beverage and nutrition policies, and (69%) addressed Other effects.Conclusion: This review discovered substantial evidence that competitive foods are highly available in schools, however, lacking in robust evidence proving causality in increasing BMI or weight. There is strong corroboration in the research revealing that Other effects are factors worthy of studying further. Additional longitudinal and higher-quality research needs to be performed.
Highlights
The United States (US) is currently facing a public health crisis due to the percentage of obesity in adolescents
The following summary of data aims to answer the objective of what impacts there are upon child weight (BMI), and/or caloric intake related to obesity when competitive foods are sold in schools, and it is the purpose of this thesis to investigate and identify any recommendations for further research as well as promote the strengthening of public health policy
Each study was evaluated based on this model, and breaking down the levels of evidence reveals that seven studies (27%) were of Evidence Level III, which include non-randomized, well-designed controlled trials; and 19 studies (73%) were Level IV, well-designed case-control or cohort studies, including cross-sectional designs
Summary
The United States (US) is currently facing a public health crisis due to the percentage of obesity in adolescents. Objective: To identify and analyze literature on the effects of competitive foods in public schools on adolescent weight, or Body Mass Index (BMI), and possible impacts they may have on adolescent obesity in the United States. The CDC reported concerning adolescent obesity, the risks for children due to obesity are numerous, including the many complications which are linked to Type 2 diabetes, including stroke, diabetic neuropathy, gastroparesis, heart disease, blindness, and even depression [4]. It is because of these increasing public health concerns that we turn our sights to the youth of America to discover why obesity is growing so rapidly and what can be done to reduce it. Even with initiatives such as The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which sets standards on competitive foods that are allowed to be sold throughout the school day for students, and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) [6], there is still an undeniable need for further research to determine why we are still seeing a concerning increase in weight and BMI in the youth across the country
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
