School and District-Level Characteristics Associated With Participation in the After-School Snack Component of the National School Lunch Program

Abstract

Providing children with nutritious after-school snacks as part of an after-school enrichment program can promote healthy diets and improve food security of at-risk children. However, in 2010 only 27% of schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) also offered the after-school snack component of the program, making it available to only a minority of American schoolchildren. We investigate school and district-level characteristics associated with the likelihood of a school offering the program. Schools more likely to offer the program serve mainly low-income students and are located in urban, high-poverty districts. Elementary schools are the most likely to offer the program and high schools the least likely. Further investigation of the factors influencing availability of after-school snacks would assist child nutrition program staff, policymakers, and child nutrition advocates to assess needs and target efforts to encourage schools to offer NSLP snacks.