Methodology To Evaluate the Outcomes of the Team Nutrition Initiative in Schools

by Mary Murimi, Jan Colvin, Kim Liner, and Jennifer Guin

This project develops a data collection methodology to evaluate outcomes of Team Nutrition, a voluntary USDA school-based initiative to promote nutrition education, healthy eating, and physical activity. The project uses infor-mation technology to collect high-quality data while decreasing respondent and investigator burden and lowering costs of collecting and analyzing evaluation data. Seven data collection instruments were developed: Five collect information from school personnel, one collects information from students, and the seventh is an on-site observa-tion of the school environment. The instruments are being pilot-tested in one State, but because Team Nutrition is a national initiative, the methodology could be useful to other States.

This study was conducted by the Louisiana Tech University under a cooperative research contract with USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) Food and Nutrition Assistance Research Program (FANRP): contract number 43-3AEM-3-80112 (ERS project representative: Joanne Guthrie). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of ERS or USDA.

Keywords: National School Lunch Program, Team Nutrition, Child Nutrition Programs, food assistance programs, evaluation, nutrition education, Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Program, FANRP

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