DOI: 10.15482/usda.adc/28752062.v1
title: School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study (SNMCS), SY 2014-15, Volume 2: Nutritional Characteristics of School Meals

description: These data are from the first nationally representative, comprehensive assessment of the school meal programs since the updated nutrition standards for school meals were phased in beginning School Year 2012-2013. The study results were presented in four volumes summarizing study findings related to (1) foodservice operations, (2) the nutrient content of school meals as offered and served, (3) meal costs and revenues, and (4) student participation, dietary intake and plate waste. The data files presented here correspond to Volume 2 on the nutrition quality of meals through menu surveys.Processing methods and equipment used<br>Study date(s) and durationThe data was collected between January and June 2015 and is representative of School Year 2014-15.<br>Study spatial scale (size of replicates and spatial scale of study area)The data is representative of public School Food Authorities (SFAs), schools, students attending those schools, and their parents in SY 2014-15 within the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia.<br>Level of true replication<br>Sampling precision (within-replicate sampling or pseudoreplication)The sampling approach involved first randomly dividing a sampling frame of all public SFAs into three separate sampling groups.<br>Group 1 includes SFAs, but no schools were sampled. SFAs that serve only charter schools were represented in this group. Group 1 SFAs participated in the SFA Director Survey to provide the precision required for estimating SFA characteristics and policies.<br>Group 2 includes SFAs, schools, and students and their parents. Group 2 SFAs participated in the SFA Director, School Nutrition Manager (SNM), and Principal Surveys. Interviews were conducted with students (and their parents) in these schools as well as dietary recalls.<br>Group 3 includes SFAs, schools, and lunch and breakfast observations. A subset of SFAs and schools provided additional data needed to estimate meal costs. Plate waste was observed at a subsample of Group 3 schools.<br>Level of subsampling (number and repeat or within-replicate sampling)<br>Study design (before–after, control–impacts, time series, before–after-control–impacts)Cross-sectional<br>Description of any data manipulation, modeling, or statistical analysis undertakenResults were weighted to be nationally-representative. More information on weighting techniques is available in the final report.<br>Description of any gaps in the data or other limiting factorsOverall, SFAs and schools were very cooperative with weighted response rates for various data collection instruments ranging from 83 to 97 percent. Gaining cooperation from students and parents was more challenging, especially in schools that required active parental consent. Weighted response rates for students and parents ranged from 64 to 89 percent.<br>The data is not representative of Alaska, Hawaii, or US territories. Food prices in these non-contiguous areas are systematically different from those in the 48 contiguous states and District of Columbia.<br>Outcome measurement methods and equipment usedA web-based menu survey completed by school nutrition managers at sample SFAs was used for data collection for this volume.<br>