IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i12p6389-d574150.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Food Waste in Schools: A Pre-/Post-test Study Design Examining the Impact of a Food Service Training Intervention to Reduce Food Waste

Author

Listed:
  • Sara A. Elnakib

    (Department of Family and Community Health Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA)

  • Virginia Quick

    (Department of Nutritional Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA)

  • Mariel Mendez

    (Department of Family and Community Health Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA)

  • Shauna Downs

    (Department of Urban-Global Public Health, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, USA)

  • Olivia A. Wackowski

    (Department of Health Behavior, Society and Policy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA)

  • Mark G. Robson

    (Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA)

Abstract

This study aimed to assess change in school-based food waste after training and implementing the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement (SLM) strategies with school food service workers. This non-controlled trial was implemented in a random sample of 15 elementary and middle schools in a Community Eligibility Program school district in the Northeast, the United States. Baseline and post-intervention food waste measurements were collected at two different time points in each school ( n = 9258 total trays measured). Descriptive statistics, independent t -tests, and regression analyses were used to assess SLM strategies’ impact on changes in percent food waste. The mean number of strategies schools implemented consistently was 7.40 ± 6.97 SD, with a range of 0 to 28 consistent strategies. Independent t -tests revealed that at pos t -test, there was a significant ( p < 0.001) percent reduction (7.0%) in total student food waste and for each food component: fruit (13.6%), vegetable (7.1%), and milk (4.3%). Overall, a training session on food waste and the SLM strategies with school-based food service workers reduced school food waste. However, the extent of the training and SLM strategies to reduce food waste varied on the basis of the consistency and type of strategies implemented.

Suggested Citation

  • Sara A. Elnakib & Virginia Quick & Mariel Mendez & Shauna Downs & Olivia A. Wackowski & Mark G. Robson, 2021. "Food Waste in Schools: A Pre-/Post-test Study Design Examining the Impact of a Food Service Training Intervention to Reduce Food Waste," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-13, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:12:p:6389-:d:574150
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/12/6389/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/12/6389/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. repec:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2016.303647_1 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Chien‐Yu Lai & John A List & Anya Samek, 2020. "Got Milk? Using Nudges to Reduce Consumption of Added Sugar," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 102(1), pages 154-168, January.
    3. Blondin, S.A. & Cash, S.B. & Goldberg, J.P. & Griffin, T.S. & Economos, C.D., 2017. "Nutritional, economic, and environmental costs of milk waste in a classroom school breakfast program," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 107(4), pages 590-592.
    4. Keiko Goto & Alexandra Waite & Cindy Wolff & Kenny Chan & Maria Giovanni, 2013. "Do Environmental Interventions Impact Elementary School Students' Lunchtime Milk Selection?," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 35(2), pages 360-376.
    5. Miller, Gabrielle F. & Gupta, Sonam & Kropp, Jaclyn D. & Grogan, Kelly A. & Mathews, Anne, 2016. "The effects of pre-ordering and behavioral nudges on National School Lunch Program participants’ food item selection," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 4-16.
    6. Keiko Goto & Alexandra Waite & Cindy Wolff & Kenny Chan & Maria Giovanni, 2013. "Do Environmental Interventions Impact Elementary School Students' Lunchtime Milk Selection?," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 35(2), pages 360-376.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Grace Gardner & Wendy Burton & Maddie Sinclair & Maria Bryant, 2023. "Interventions to Strengthen Environmental Sustainability of School Food Systems: Narrative Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(11), pages 1-17, May.
    2. Eva L. Jenkins & Linda Brennan & Michaela Jackson & Tracy A. McCaffrey, 2023. "Re-Licious: Co-Design with Adolescents to Turn Leftovers into Delicious and Healthy Meals—A School-Based Pilot Intervention," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(16), pages 1-16, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ernesto Mesa-Vázquez & Juan F. Velasco-Muñoz & José A. Aznar-Sánchez & Belén López-Felices, 2021. "Three Decades of Behavioural Economics in Agriculture. An Overview of Global Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-21, September.
    2. Romain Cadario & Pierre Chandon, 2020. "Which Healthy Eating Nudges Work Best? A Meta-Analysis of Field Experiments," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 39(3), pages 465-486, May.
    3. Laiou, Elpiniki & Rapti, Iro & Schwarzer, Ralf & Fleig, Lena & Cianferotti, Luisella & Ngo, Joy & Rizos, Evangelos C. & Wetle, Terrie Fox & Kahlmeier, Sonja & Vigilanza, Antonella & Tsilidis, Konstant, 2021. "Review: Nudge interventions to promote healthy diets and physical activity," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    4. Nader Hamdi & Brenna Ellison & Jennifer McCaffrey & Jessica Jarick Metcalfe & Ashley Hoffman & Pamela Haywood & Melissa Pflugh Prescott, 2020. "Implementation of a Multi-Component School Lunch Environmental Change Intervention to Improve Child Fruit and Vegetable Intake: A Mixed-Methods Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-17, June.
    5. Carolin V. Zorell, 2020. "Nudges, Norms, or Just Contagion? A Theory on Influences on the Practice of (Non-)Sustainable Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-21, December.
    6. Dieneke Van de Sompel & Liselot Hudders & Lore Vandenberghe, 2020. "Cycling for a Sustainable Future. Stimulating Children to Cycle to School via a Synergetic Combination of Informational and Behavioral Interventions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-18, April.
    7. Carolin V. Zorell, 2022. "Central Persons in Sustainable (Food) Consumption," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-17, March.
    8. Kelly A. Davidson & Jaclyn D. Kropp & Conner Mullally & Md. Wakilur Rahman, 2021. "Can Simple Nudges and Workshops Improve Diet Quality? Evidence from a Randomized Trial in Bangladesh," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(1), pages 253-274, January.
    9. Abdulkadir Atalan, 2023. "Forecasting drinking milk price based on economic, social, and environmental factors using machine learning algorithms," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(1), pages 214-241, January.
    10. Samek, Anya, 2019. "Gifts and goals: Behavioral nudges to improve child food choice at school," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 1-12.
    11. Belot, Michèle & James, Jonathan, 2022. "Incentivizing dietary choices among children: Review of experimental evidence," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    12. Ozturk, Orgul D. & Frongillo, Edward A. & Blake, Christine E. & McInnes, Melayne M. & Turner-McGrievy, Gabrielle, 2020. "Before the lunch line: Effectiveness of behavioral economic interventions for pre-commitment on elementary school children's food choices," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 597-618.
    13. Mecheva, Margarita de Vries & Rieger, Matthias & Sparrow, Robert & Prafiantini, Erfi & Agustina, Rina, 2021. "Snacks, nudges and asymmetric peer influence: Evidence from food choice experiments with children in Indonesia," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    14. van Doorn, Jenny & Luiting-Drijfhout, Marit & van Ittersum, Koert, 2023. "Waste on Impulse? Food ordering, calorie intake and waste in out-of-home consumption," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    15. Blemings, Benjamin & Zhang, Peilu & Neill, Clinton L., 2023. "Where is the value? The impacts of sow gestation crate laws on pork supply and consumer value perceptions," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    16. Edouard Civel & Nathaly Cruz-Garcia, 2018. "Green, yellow or red lemons? Framed field experiment on houses energy labels perception," EconomiX Working Papers 2018-35, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    17. Edouard Civel & Nathaly Cruz, 2018. "Green, yellow or red lemons? Artefactual field experiment on houses energy labels perception," Working Papers 1809, Chaire Economie du climat.
    18. Pascal Ohlhausen & Nina Langen, 2021. "Spontaneous Variety-Seeking Meal Choice in Business Canteens Impedes Sustainable Production," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-15, January.
    19. Davidson, Kelly A. & Kropp, Jaclyn D. & Mullally, Conner C. & Rahman, M. Wakilur, 2018. "Behavioral Nudges and Nutrition Education in Bangladesh: Experimental Evidence Comparing Food Choices in a Lab Setting to Decisions at Home," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 274134, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    20. Christine Kawa & Patrizia M. Ianiro-Dahm & Jan F. H. Nijhuis & Wim H. Gijselaers, 2021. "Cafeteria Online: Nudges for Healthier Food Choices in a University Cafeteria—A Randomized Online Experiment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-13, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:12:p:6389-:d:574150. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.