A new study led by the University of Washington finds that universal free school meals could serve as a significant public health tool by reducing high blood pressure among students, adding to the program’s documented benefits.
Universal free school meals could be a key player in improving public health, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Washington. The study, published n JAMA Network Open, found that students in schools that adopted universal free meal programs were significantly less likely to have high blood pressure.
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) established in 2010 allows schools in low-income communities to offer free meals to all students.
“High blood pressure is an important public health problem that isn’t studied as much on a population level as obesity,” lead author Anna Localio, a UW postdoctoral researcher of health systems and population health, said in a news release. “We have evidence that CEP increases participation in school meals, and we also have evidence that school meals are more nutritious than meals that kids obtain elsewhere. This is a public health policy that is delivering nutritious meals to children who may not have previously had access.”
The researchers analyzed medical records of 155,778 students aged 4-18 from community health organizations and tracked their blood pressure metrics.
They found that participation in universal free meals resulted in an average 2.71% decrease in high blood pressure prevalence, translating to nearly an 11% net drop over five years.
“In previous work on the health impacts of universal free school meals, our team found that adoption of free meals is associated with decreases in average body mass index scores and childhood obesity prevalence, which are closely linked to risk of high blood pressure,” added senior author Jessica Jones-Smith, a professor of health, society and behavior at the University of California Irvine’s Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health, who conducted much of the research as a faculty member of the UW School of Public Health.
The reduction in high blood pressure may be largely due to the improved nutritional standards introduced along with the CEP. The 2010 law mandated that school meals align more closely with the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, known for effectively managing hypertension.
“We know there are a lot of barriers to people eating this diet,” Localio said, but the combination of universal free meals and higher nutritional standards likely made it easier for students to overcome those obstacles.
The findings challenge the notion that universal free meals primarily benefit wealthier students. The study, which included mostly low-income students, showed significant health benefits across income levels.
“There is a perception that providing universally free school meals will only improve outcomes for students of relatively higher-income families, but our findings suggest that there are benefits for lower-income children as well,” Jones-Smith added.
This research arrives at a time when cuts to food assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) could limit schools’ access to CEP. The program’s continuation and expansion are crucial as they play a significant role in child health and wellness.
“We’re in a contentious time for public health, but it seems like there’s bipartisan support for healthy school meals,” Localio added. “There’s legislation being considered in a number of states to expand universal free meals, and these findings could inform that decision-making. Cutting funding to school meals would not promote children’s health.”
Source: University of Washington