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The Effect of Breakfast in the Classroom on Obesity and Academic Performance: Evidence from New York City

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  • Sean P. Corcoran
  • Brian Elbel
  • Amy Ellen Schwartz

Abstract

Participation in the federally subsidized school breakfast program often falls well below its lunchtime counterpart. To increase take‐up, many districts have implemented Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC), offering breakfast directly to students at the start of the school day. Beyond increasing participation, advocates claim BIC improves academic performance, attendance, and engagement. Others caution BIC has deleterious effects on child weight. We use the implementation of BIC in New York City (NYC) to estimate its impact on meals program participation, body mass index (BMI), achievement, and attendance. While we find large effects on participation, our findings provide no evidence of hoped‐for gains in academic performance, or of feared increases in obesity. The policy case for BIC will depend upon reductions in hunger and food insecurity for disadvantaged children, or its longer‐term effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Sean P. Corcoran & Brian Elbel & Amy Ellen Schwartz, 2016. "The Effect of Breakfast in the Classroom on Obesity and Academic Performance: Evidence from New York City," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(3), pages 509-532, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jpamgt:v:35:y:2016:i:3:p:509-532
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1002/pam.21909
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    Cited by:

    1. Watson, Michelle & Velardo, Stefania & Drummond, Murray, 2020. "Perspectives of the key stakeholders of the KickStart for Kids school breakfast program," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    2. Agustina Laurito & Amy Ellen Schwartz, 2019. "Does School Lunch Fill the “SNAP Gap” at the End of the Month?," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 86(1), pages 49-82, July.
    3. Andres Cuadros‐Meñaca & Michael R. Thomsen & Rodolfo M. Nayga, 2023. "School breakfast and student behavior," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 105(1), pages 99-121, January.
    4. Kaitlyn M. Eck & Colleen L. Delaney & Rashel L. Clark & Miriam P. Leary & Karla Pagan Shelnutt & Melissa D. Olfert & Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, 2019. "The “Motor of the Day”: Parent and School-Age Children’s Cognitions, Barriers, and Supports for Breakfast," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-15, September.
    5. Gottfried, Michael A. & Kirksey, Jacob, 2022. "School breakfast and young children’s absenteeism: Does meal location matter?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    6. Cuadros-Meñaca, Andres & Thomsen, Michael R. & Nayga, Rodolfo M., 2022. "The effect of breakfast after the bell on student academic achievement," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    7. Cohen, Nevin & Ilieva, Rositsa T., 2021. "Expanding the boundaries of food policy: The turn to equity in New York City," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    8. Altindag, Duha T. & Baek, Deokrye & Lee, Hong & Merkle, Jessica, 2020. "Free lunch for all? The impact of universal school lunch on student misbehavior," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    9. Michah W. Rothbart & Amy Ellen Schwartz & Emily Gutierrez, 2023. "Paying for Free Lunch: The Impact of CEP Universal Free Meals on Revenues, Spending, and Student Health," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 18(4), pages 708-737, Fall.
    10. Deokrye Baek & Yongjun Choi & Hong Lee, 2019. "Universal Welfare May Be Costly: Evidence from School Meal Programs and Student Fitness in South Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-18, March.
    11. Davis, Will & Kreisman, Daniel & Musaddiq, Tareena, 2023. "The Effect of Universal Free School Meals on Child BMI," IZA Discussion Papers 16387, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Daniel Borbely & Markus Gehrsitz & Stuart McIntyre & Gennaro Rossi, 2022. "Does the Provision of Universal Free School Meals Improve School Attendance and Behaviour?," Working Papers 22-5, University of Strathclyde Business School, Department of Economics.
    13. Abouk, Rahi & Adams, Scott, 2022. "Breakfast After the Bell: The Effects of Expanding Access to School Breakfasts on the Weight and Achievement of Elementary School Children," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    14. Michah W. Rothbart, 2020. "The Impact of School Choice on Public School Budgets: Evidence From Open Enrollment in New York City," Public Budgeting & Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(4), pages 3-37, December.
    15. Melissa Pflugh Prescott & Judith A. Gilbride & Sean P. Corcoran & Brian Elbel & Kathleen Woolf & Roland O. Ofori & Amy Ellen Schwartz, 2022. "The Relationship between School Infrastructure and School Nutrition Program Participation and Policies in New York City," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-12, August.
    16. Cotti, Chad & Gordanier, John & Ozturk, Orgul, 2018. "When does it count? The timing of food stamp receipt and educational performance," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 40-50.
    17. Amy Ellen Schwartz & Michah W. Rothbart, 2020. "Let Them Eat Lunch: The Impact of Universal Free Meals on Student Performance," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(2), pages 376-410, March.
    18. Sally Lawrence Bullock & Spring Dawson-McClure & Kimberly Parker Truesdale & Dianne Stanton Ward & Allison E. Aiello & Alice S. Ammerman, 2022. "Associations between a Universal Free Breakfast Policy and School Breakfast Program Participation, School Attendance, and Weight Status: A District-Wide Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-13, March.

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