PC2086: Nutritional Quality of Elementary School Lunches by County in a Southwest State

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional quality of school lunches provided to elementary-aged students in metro, rural, and non-metro areas of a Southwest state.

Methods: This was a population-based cohort study, that categorized metro, non-metro, and rural school districts by rural-urban continuum codes. Data analysis utilized two days of school menu data from a southwest state for Jan 2020-Mar 2020. The nutritional values of lunches were obtained using a nutrition analysis software; differences in cholesterol, sodium, fiber, carbohydrates, sugar, protein, total fat, and saturated fat among school districts were compared. A multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the nutrients by metro, rural, and non-metro school districts.

Results: A total of 45 were included in this study; inaccurate serving sizes, nonspecific menu options, and no menu information disqualified school districts from this study. A 21.5% and a 14.8% difference in saturated fat and fiber was seen between rural and non-metro lunch menus, respectively. A 20% deviation in sugar was found between rural and metro lunches and 11.1% in calories between metro and non-metro lunches. There was a significant positive association between lunches in rural areas having less total fat than their counterparts in metro and non-metro locations (p=.011). No other significant associations were seen between differences in other nutrients.

Conclusion: Assessing the nutritional quality of school lunches can determine if lunch meals are nutritionally adequate to support the optimal growth and development of elementary-aged children. There is considerable scope to improve the nutritional quality of lunch menus in elementary schools of a southwest state. Future research should focus on refining the dietary composition of lunch menus using accurate portion sizes and up-to-date menus to determine if all menus are equal in value across the state.