No Child Hungry: Effects of the School Breakfast Program on Student Nutrition

Abstract

This paper explores the effects of the School Breakfast Program (SBP) on 24-hour nutritional outcomes of students. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III and the continuous NHANES 1999-2010, this paper utilizes a difference-in-difference estimation strategy to account for the unobserved disparities between schools with and without the SBP. Results indicate that the effects of SBP availability are much stronger for the NHANES III than for the NHANES 1999-2010. Although SBP availability increases the percentage change in 24-hour nutrient intakes of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, water, fiber, and protein for the NHANES III, it only increases the percentage change in 24-hour nutrient intake of vitamin B12 for the NHANES 1999-2010. Despite the weakened results, the findings from the NHANES 1999-2010 provide empirical evidence for the United States Department of Agriculture’s reorganization of child nutrition programs such as the SBP through the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act in 2010. Findings from this paper suggest that the SBP is an important instrument for bettering student nutrition.