Calories In, Calories Out: Food and Exercise in Public Elementary Schools, 2005

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Calories In, Calories OutFood and Exercise
inPublic Elementary Schools, 2005

• Mark Schneider
• Commissioner
• National Center for Education Statistics
• May 16, 2006

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Introduction

• NCES releasing Calories In, Calories Out Food
  and Exercise in Public Elementary Schools, 2005
  on its website this morning
• First U.S. Department of Education study to focus
  on food and exercise in public elementary schools
  
• Prompted by concern about obesity among
  school-age children

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Study obtained information on

• Calories in
• Availability of foods outside of full school
  meals
• Calories out
• Opportunities for physical activity in school
• Weighing students and notifying parents
• Extent to which schools weigh students, calculate
  body mass index, and report to parents

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Study

• Nationally representative sample of 1,198 regular
  public elementary schools
• Conducted in spring 2005 through NCESs Fast
  Response Survey System (FRSS)
• Response rate of 91 percent

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Calories In
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Figure 1a Schools offering food for sale
outside of full school meals
SOURCE U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, Fast Response
Survey System (FRSS), Foods and Physical
Activity in Public Elementary Schools 2005,
FRSS 87, 2005.
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Figure 1b Of schools that offered foods for sale
outside of full school meals, percent that sold
foods to generate funds for food service
operations
SOURCE U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, Fast Response
Survey System (FRSS), Foods and Physical
Activity in Public Elementary Schools 2005,
FRSS 87, 2005.
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Figure 2 Availability of vending machine foods
and school store/snack bar foods
NOTE Vending machines and school stores/snack
bars may or may not be located in the school
cafeteria. SOURCE U.S. Department of Education,
National Center for Education Statistics, Fast
Response Survey System (FRSS), Foods and
Physical Activity in Public Elementary Schools
2005, FRSS 87, 2005.
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Figure 3 Contract with companies to sell
drinks/snack foods, by school locale
SOURCE U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, Fast Response
Survey System (FRSS), Foods and Physical
Activity in Public Elementary Schools 2005,
FRSS 87, 2005.
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Figure 4 Contract with companies to sell
drinks/snack foods, by region
SOURCE U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, Fast Response
Survey System (FRSS), Foods and Physical
Activity in Public Elementary Schools 2005,
FRSS 87, 2005.
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Figure 5 Contract with companies to sell
drinks/snack foods, by percent minority
enrollment
SOURCE U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, Fast Response
Survey System (FRSS), Foods and Physical
Activity in Public Elementary Schools 2005,
FRSS 87, 2005.
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Calories Out
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Figure 6 Schools with no scheduled recess, by
grade level
SOURCE U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, Fast Response
Survey System (FRSS), Foods and Physical
Activity in Public Elementary Schools 2005,
FRSS 87, 2005.
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Figure 7 Distribution of schools days per week
of scheduled physical education, by grade level
NOTE One percent of the schools did not have any
scheduled physical education for elementary
grades (not shown in figure). Detail may not sum
to totals because of rounding. SOURCE U.S.
Department of Education, National Center for
Education Statistics, Fast Response Survey System
(FRSS), Foods and Physical Activity in Public
Elementary Schools 2005, FRSS 87, 2005.
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Differences by poverty concentration

• The percent of students eligible for free or
  reduced-price lunch at the school was used as a
  proxy for poverty concentration.
• High poverty schools (75-100 free or
  reduced-price lunch) were less likely to have any
  scheduled recess or daily recess, compared to
  schools with lower poverty concentrations.
• When the times for physical education and recess
  were combined, high poverty schools had lower
  averages in minutes per week.

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Figure 8 Grade 1Time spent in recess and
physical education, by poverty concentration
SOURCE U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, Fast Response
Survey System (FRSS), Foods and Physical
Activity in Public Elementary Schools 2005,
FRSS 87, 2005.
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Figure 9 School programs to encourage physical
activity
SOURCE U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, Fast Response
Survey System (FRSS), Foods and Physical
Activity in Public Elementary Schools 2005,
FRSS 87, 2005.
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Weighing students and notifying parents
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Figure 10 Extent schools calculated students
BMI and measured height and weight
NOTE Detail may not sum to totals because of
rounding. SOURCE U.S. Department of Education,
National Center for Education Statistics, Fast
Response Survey System (FRSS), Foods and
Physical Activity in Public Elementary Schools
2005, FRSS 87, 2005.
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Figure 11 Sent information on students BMI,
height, and weight to parents
SOURCE U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, Fast Response
Survey System (FRSS), Foods and Physical
Activity in Public Elementary Schools 2005,
FRSS 87, 2005.
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Availability of Report

• http//nces.ed.gov
• Print copies available from ED Pubs in June 2006
• Contacts for more information
• Mike Bowler, IES Communications Director(202)
  219 1662 mike.bowler_at_ed.gov
• Bernie Greene, FRSS Project Director(202) 502
  7348 bernard.greene_at_ed.gov