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Daphne C. Hernandez, PhD, MSEd; Lori A. Francis, PhD; Emily A. Doyle, MS

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. Published online December 6, 2010. doi:10.1001/archpediatrics.2010.253

Objectives  To investigate participation patterns in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) among low-income children from kindergarten to fifth grade and to examine the ways in which participation influences sex differences in the trajectories of body mass index (BMI) through the eighth grade.

Design  Longitudinal, secondary data analysis.

Setting  Sample of low-income US children who entered kindergarten in 1998.

Participants  Girls (n = 574) and boys (n = 566) from low-income families who participated in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Cohort.

Main Exposure  Participation in the NSLP.

Main Outcome Measures  Temporary and persistent patterns of NSLP participation, and age-specific and sex-specific BMI raw scores calculated at 5 data points.

Results  Among the low-income children who attended schools that participated in the NSLP, both the children who persistently participated in the program and those who temporarily participated in the program displayed similar socioeconomically disadvantaged factors. Nonlinear mixed models indicated a larger rate of change in BMI (ie, an increase) among low-income, participating girls than among low-income, nonparticipating girls; however, mean BMIs did not significantly differ between low-income girls who participated and those who did not participate. No significant differences were observed among low-income boys.

Conclusions  Results suggest that participation in the NSLP is associated with rapid weight gain for low-income girls but not for low-income boys.

Author Affiliations: Departments of Human Development Family Studies (Dr Hernandez and Ms Doyle) and Biobehavioral Health (Dr Francis), Center for Family Research in Diverse Contexts (Drs Hernandez and Francis), and Demography Training Program (Ms Doyle), The Pennsylvania State University, University Park.

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RELATED LETTERS

National School Lunch Program for All
Alice Jo Rainville
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2011;165(11):1051.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

National School Lunch Program for All—Reply
Daphne C. Hernandez, Lori A. Francis, and Emily A. Doyle
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2011;165(11):1051.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

National School Lunch Program for All
Rainville
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2011;165:1051-1051.
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National School Lunch Program for All--Reply
Hernandez et al.
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2011;165:1051-1051.
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