Adolescent Student Use of School-Based Salad Bars

BACKGROUNDChildhood obesity continues to be a public health problem in the United States. Increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables (F/V) is one strategy for decreasing high consumption of energy-dense, high-fat foods, thereby improving weight status. Many Orleans Parish public schools were provided with salad bars (SBs) to augment school lunch with increased access to F/V. This study identified factors associated with student use of SBs. METHODSSurveys examining SB use, demographics, food preference, nutrition knowledge, and social support were administered to students in the 7th to 12th grades (N=702) in Orleans Parish (New Orleans, Louisiana). Generalized estimating equations, which incorporate clustering at the school level, helped to determine associations between independent variables and SB use. RESULTSSixty percent of participants were SB users. Non-African-American students were more likely to be SB users than African-American students (odds ratio [OR]=2.35, confidence interval [CI]: 1.35-4.07) and students who had high preference for healthy food were more likely to use the SB than those who had low preference (OR=2.41, CI: 1.44-4.01). Students who encouraged others to consume F/V were more likely to use the SB than those who did not (p=.015). CONCLUSIONSIndividual and interpersonal factors related to SB use can provide guidance in the development of school-based interventions to increase SB use and F/V consumption.