Loss of Access to Universal Free School Meals and Body Mass Index in Students

Was the loss of universal free school meals following the end of COVID-19–era federal waivers in June 2022 associated with body mass index z score (BMIZ) trajectory changes for children and adolescents in low-poverty schools? This cohort study of 42 385 students found smaller reductions in BMIZ 2 years postpolicy for youths in states that did not maintain access to universal free school meals than in states that did. The findings suggest that loss of universal free school meals for students attending low-poverty schools, which are ineligible for most federal universal free meal programs, may be associated with less favorable BMIZ trajectories.

Corresponding Author: Jessica C. Jones-Smith, PhD, Department of Health, Society, and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, 856 Health Science Quad, Room 4442, Irvine, CA 92617 (jjonessm@hs.uci.edu).

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