Influence of teachers' attitudes toward the school lunch program on student participation

Abstract

An instrument has been developed to assess attitudes of teachers about the school lunch program. The attitudes of 83 elementary school teachers were assessed. In general, the teachers held positive attitudes about the school lunch program and nutrition education but were resistant to increased participation in the program. Some attitudinal differences were noted between teachers of higher and lower elementary grades and among teachers with different rates of student participation in the school lunch program. School lunch participation was highest in classes that contained a large number of bussed students and a high percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-price meals. The percentage of working mothers had no significant influence on school lunch participation. When these variables were controlled, teachers' positive attitudes about food quality and negative attitudes about eating with the students emerged as predictors of student participation in school lunch.