Household Food Security Status of Families with Children Attending Schools that Participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and Those with Children Attending Schools that are CEP-Eligible, but Not Participating

ABSTRACT

This study examined the association of household food security and school participation in the community eligibility provision (CEP). Surveys were collected from 427 households within 5 schools participating in CEP, and therefore providing access to universal free school meals, and three matched comparison district schools, which were CEP-eligible but not participating. Multivariate logistic regression, adjusted for race/ethnicity and education level, revealed that the odds of being in a food insecure household were twice as likely for students attending CEP-eligible, but not participating schools than for students attending CEP schools [OR 2.85 (95% CI 1.67, 4.88)].

KEYWORDS:

• School meal
• hunger
• child nutrition
• school lunch
• food insecsurity
• poverty
• food security
• community eligibility provision
• adolescent health
• school policy

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Elizabeth Marchetta for her contributions; Maryland Hunger Solutions for their support; Lacy Boyles, Elizabeth Brown, Hailey Cox, Amelie Hecht, Emily Payne, Amanda Stearns, and Dana Stretchberry for their tireless efforts; and, most important, the students, parents, caregivers, principals, and administrators who shared their stories.

Additional information

Funding

Funding and support for this research was provided by the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the authors and should not be construed as representing the opinions or policies of Johns Hopkins University or Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future..