Learning on Empty: How Students in Disenfranchised Communities Experience Federal School Nutrition Programs

• In Event: 35.081 - Roundtable Session 13
  In Roundtable Session: 35.081-22 - Schools, Nutrition, and Health Outcomes

Abstract

Schools are uniquely positioned to influence the academic and well-being of students. Federal child nutrition policies, like the National School Lunch Act, were enacted to address hunger among school-aged children. Negative social labeling of students receiving free meals, or school food stigma, is often anecdotally cited as a major barrier in program effectiveness. However, little is known about school food stigma in low-income communities. Using a retrospective approach, I conducted a small-scale comparative case study to investigate how students, eligible for free meals in disenfranchised communities, experienced and perceived school nutrition programming across their K-12 education. Findings broaden the notion of school food stigma and illustrate how negative food perceptions may lead to students’ poor nutritional choices and even hunger.

Author

• Christine Tran, University of Washington