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- Definition: Estimated percentage of children ages 2-17 who ate fast food two or more times in the previous week, by age group (e.g., in 2015-2016, 39.2% of California children ages 2-11 had eaten fast food two or more times in the past week).
- Data Source: UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, California Health Interview Survey (Mar. 2018).
- Footnote: These estimates are based on a survey of the population and are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. The notation S refers to data that have been suppressed because the sample size was lower than 50, the percentage was less than 0.1, or the estimate was suppressed by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Data may have wide margins of error and should be treated with caution. For more information and margins of error around specific estimates, visit the California Health Interview Survey. N/A means that data are not available.
Learn More About Nutrition
- Measures of Nutrition on Kidsdata.org
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Kidsdata.org offers the following nutrition-related indicators:
- Children ages 2-17 who drank one or more sodas or other sugar-sweetened beverages in the previous day, who ate five or more servings of fruits or vegetables in the previous day, and who ate fast food two or more times in the previous week*
- Students in grades 7, 9, 11, and non-traditional programs who ate breakfast in the previous day†
- School staff reports on the extent to which their school provides students with healthy food choices‡
* These estimates come from the California Health Interview Survey and are available, depending on the indicator, by county, age group, and/or race/ethnicity.
† These estimates come from the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) and are available by grade level, gender, level of school connectedness, parent education level, and sexual orientation. State-level CHKS estimates, although derived from the Biennial State CHKS, may differ from data published in Biennial State CHKS reports due to differences in grade-level classification of students in continuation high schools.
‡ These data come from the California School Staff Survey and are available for elementary, middle, high, and non-traditional school staff. -
- Nutrition
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- Children Drinking One or More Sugar-Sweetened Beverages in the Past Day
- Children Eating Five or More Servings of Fruits or Vegetables in the Past Day, by Age Group
- Children Eating Fast Food Two or More Times in the Past Week, by Age Group
- Students Eating Breakfast in the Past Day, by Grade Level
- Healthy Food Choices Provided at School (Staff Reported)
- Student Demographics
- Food Security
- Physical Fitness
- Weight
- Why This Topic Is Important
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Children and youth need a nutritious diet for healthy growth and development (1). Proper nutrition over the life course can help reduce the risk of developing dental cavities, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer, and other conditions (1, 2). Unfortunately, estimates show that about half (49%) of U.S. children have poor-quality diets (2).
Eating a healthy breakfast is an important way to promote proper nutrition (3). Children who eat breakfast have higher daily intakes of key vitamins and minerals and tend to make better food choices throughout the day (3). Eating a nutritious breakfast also is associated with improved mood, cognitive functioning, and school attendance (1).
Children in low-income households and children of color are at increased risk for inadequate nutrition, which can have long-term negative consequences (4, 5). For example, economically disadvantaged children tend to consume more sugar-sweetened beverages, which contribute to obesity and increase the risk for chronic diseases later in life (5). In addition, food insecurity (limited or uncertain access to adequate food) can adversely affect children's cognitive development and academic performance (6). More than 1 million children in California—and nearly 11 million nationwide—live in households experiencing food insecurity (6).For more information, see kidsdata.org’s Research & Links section.
Sources for this narrative:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Childhood nutrition facts. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/nutrition/facts.htm
2. Liu, J., et al. (2021). Trends in food sources and diet quality among U.S. children and adults, 2003-2018. JAMA Network Open, 4(4), e215262. Retrieved from: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2778453.
3. Giménez-Legarre, N., et al. (2020). Breakfast characteristics and its association with daily micronutrients intake in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 12(10), 3201. Retrieved from: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/10/3201
4. Peltz, A., & Garg, A. (2019). Food insecurity and health care use. Pediatrics, 144(4), e20190347. Retrieved from: https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/144/4/e20190347/76973/Food-Insecurity-and-Health-Care-Use
5. Muth, N. D., et al. (2019). Public policies to reduce sugary drink consumption in children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 143(4), e20190282. Retrieved from: https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/143/4/e20190282/37217/Public-Policies-to-Reduce-Sugary-Drink-Consumption
6. Feeding America. (n.d.). Map the meal gap: Child food insecurity in the United States. Retrieved from: https://map.feedingamerica.org/county/2019/child - How Children Are Faring
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In 2017-2019, an estimated 66% of California 7th graders, 60% of 9th graders, 58% of 11th graders, and 50% of students in non-traditional programs had eaten breakfast in the past day. Across grade levels statewide, boys were more likely to have had breakfast than girls. In general, estimates of eating breakfast are lowest for students with low levels of school connectedness and those whose parents did not finish high school (46% and 54%, respectively, in 2017-2019), and increase as levels of school connectedness and parent education improve. In 2017-2019, fewer than 50% of gay, lesbian, and bisexual students in California had eaten breakfast in the past day, compared with more than 60% of students in other groups.
According to estimates from a 2017-2018 survey of parents and teens, around one in four California children ages 2-17 had eaten at least five servings of fruits and vegetables in the past day. Estimates from the same survey in 2015-2016 showed 40% of children drinking at least one sugar-sweetened beverage in the past day and 43% eating fast food at least twice in the past week, with wide variation at the county level—from fewer than 12% to more than 60% across regions with data. Sugary drink consumption also varied by age and race/ethnicity. Statewide, among youth ages 12-17, an estimated 58% had drunk sugar-sweetened beverages in the previous day, whereas estimates for younger children were lower, at 35% for ages 6-11 and 22% for ages 2-5. Among groups with data, an estimated 66% of multiracial and 64% of Hispanic/Latino youth ages 12-17 had consumed sugary beverages in the past day, compared with African American/black youth at 55%, white youth at 53%, and Asian youth at 43%. - Policy Implications
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Nutrition during childhood, beginning in the prenatal stage, influences lifelong health (1). The childhood years also are a critical time for establishing long-term dietary habits. Children and youth need a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables, as well as adequate water (2). Health experts also recommend minimizing consumption of solid fats, sodium, and added sugars, which are linked to negative health outcomes (2). Ensuring that children have access to nutritious food and learn to make healthy choices requires effort from multiple sectors, including local, state, and federal government, schools, health care, communities, businesses, and others (1, 2, 3, 4).
Schools are well-positioned to educate children about nutrition and promote healthy habits (2). Poor diets and food insecurity have been shown to substantially affect student achievement, making nutrition a priority for school performance (2). Children in poverty and children of color are particularly vulnerable to poor nutrition (4, 5). Federal nutrition programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or CalFresh in California) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program offer vital support for low-income children and families, although many of these programs continue to be underutilized in California (3, 6). Policymakers can work to reduce poverty and economic inequities, preserve and strengthen food assistance programs, and expand access to nutritious, affordable foods in low-income communities (4, 7).
Policy and practice options to improve nutrition for children include:- Promoting strategies to ensure adequate nutrition for infants, toddlers, and pregnant and breastfeeding women; for example, assuring that health care providers are trained on nutrition issues and are able to refer families to appropriate support services (1)
- Continuing to increase participation in food assistance programs—such as WIC and CalFresh—by improving integration and linkages across nutrition, health care, and other safety net programs in order to streamline enrollment and service delivery (3, 6)
- Maintaining and strengthening recent state and federal legislation to provide healthy meals for low-income children in child care; as part of this, reducing administrative burden and providing adequate training and support to increase child care provider participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), especially in underserved areas (8, 9)
- Increasing awareness among school stakeholders—leaders, teachers, students, families, community members, and others—about the connections between nutrition, weight, cognitive functioning, academic performance, and school funding; this includes incorporating nutrition education into health curricula for students (2, 10)
- Ensuring that California's Free School Meals for All Act of 2021 is implemented effectively at the local level so that all K-12 students receive healthy school meals (2, 11)
- Continuing to promote robust nutrition programs for low-income children when school is out or when schools are closed due to emergencies; as part of this, ensuring that families are aware of such programs and that meals are provided in safe and welcoming environments, especially for immigrant families (11)
- Promoting cross-sector, comprehensive strategies to reduce consumption of sugary beverages and increase the availability of healthy, affordable food options for children and families, particularly in low-income areas and communities of color; for example, attracting retailers of nutritious food (e.g., grocery stores) to locate in under-resourced areas, and advocating for restaurants to remove sugary drinks from children's menus (4, 5)
- Continuing efforts to reduce marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children and adolescents, particularly advertising that disproportionately targets youth of color (5, 12)
- Supporting action at the federal level to reduce child food insecurity, including strengthening and expanding nutrition assistance programs and improving coordination across federal agencies (7)
For more information, see the Research & Links section on kidsdata.org or visit Nourish California and Food Research and Action Center. Also see Policy Implications on kidsdata.org under Food Security and Family Income and Poverty.
Sources for this narrative:
1. Schwarzenberg, S. J., et al. (2018). Advocacy for improving nutrition in the first 1000 days to support childhood development and adult health. Pediatrics, 141(2), e20173716. Retrieved from: https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/141/2/e20173716/38085/Advocacy-for-Improving-Nutrition-in-the-First-1000
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). CDC healthy schools: Childhood nutrition facts; Dietary behaviors and academic grades; Nutrition education in U.S. schools. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools
3. Danielson, C., et al. (2020). The importance of CalFresh and CalWORKs in children's early years. Public Policy Institute of California. Retrieved from: https://www.ppic.org/publication/the-importance-of-calfresh-and-calworks-in-childrens-early-years
4. PolicyLink. (n.d.). Equitable food systems resource guide. Retrieved from: https://www.policylink.org/food-systems/equitable-food-systems-resource-guide
5. Muth, N. D., et al. (2019). Public policies to reduce sugary drink consumption in children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 143(4), e20190282. Retrieved from: https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/143/4/e20190282/37217/Public-Policies-to-Reduce-Sugary-Drink-Consumption
6. California WIC Association. (2021). Linking WIC for health equity: Expanding access to WIC through horizontal integration. Retrieved from: https://www.calwic.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Expanding-Access-to-WIC-Through-Horizontal-Integration_07_21.pdf
7. Food Research and Action Center. (n.d.). Action center. Retrieved from: https://frac.org/action
8. Cannon, M. (2021). State funding for child care meals finally realized. Nourish California. Retrieved from: https://nourishca.org/impact-stories/statefundingforchildcaremeals
9. Marshall, S. (2020). CACFP is moving from CDE to CDSS: Let's make sure we don't get lost in transition. CACFP Roundtable. Retrieved from: https://www.ccfproundtable.org/post/cacfp-is-moving-from-cde-to-cdss-let-s-make-sure-we-don-t-get-lost-in-transition
10. California Department of Education. (2021). Nutrition education in California schools. Retrieved from: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/he/nutritionedcaschools.asp
11. Free School Meals for All Act of 2021, Cal. S. B. 364 (2021-2022). Retrieved from: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB364
12. Harris, J. L., et al. (2020). Sugary drink f.a.c.t.s. 2020. Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. Retrieved from: https://www.sugarydrinkfacts.org/resources/Sugary%20Drink%20FACTS%202020/Sugary_Drink_FACTS_Full%20Report_final.pdf
- Research & Links
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- Websites with Related Information
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- Action for Healthy Kids
- California School Boards Association: Governance and Policy Resources
- CDC Healthy Schools. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Center for Science in the Public Interest
- Child and Adolescent Nutrition: Professional Resource Guide. Maternal and Child Health Digital Library.
- Child Nutrition Sharing Site. Institute of Child Nutrition.
- Children: Food and Nutrition. Nutrition.gov.
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture & U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.
- Food Research and Action Center
- Healthy Eating and Nutrition Education. California Dept. of Education.
- Healthy Eating Research. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
- Healthy Food Access Portal. PolicyLink, et al.
- Nourish California
- Nutrition and Physical Activity Branch. California Dept. of Public Health.
- Nutrition and Physical Activity Initiative. California Dept. of Public Health, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division.
- Nutrition Policy Institute. University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources.
- Public Health Advocates
- Roots of Change. Public Health Institute.
- Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health. University of Connecticut.
- Key Reports and Research
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- Access to Food in Early Care Continues to Decline. (2019). Nourish California. Homel Vitale, E.
- Advocacy for Improving Nutrition in the First 1000 Days to Support Childhood Development and Adult Health. (2018). Pediatrics. Schwarzenberg, S. J., et al.
- Early Care and Education Policies and Programs to Support Healthy Eating and Physical Activity: Best Practices and Changes Over Time. (2017). Healthy Eating Research. Fox, T., et al.
- Effective Access to Drinking Water in Schools. (2021). Nutrition Policy Institute.
- Equitable Food Systems Resource Guide. PolicyLink.
- Free School Meals for All Here to Stay in California. (2021). EdSource. Tadayon, A.
- Marketing of Foods and Beverages: Impact and Potential Solutions for Children and Young People’s Health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Harris, J. L., & Tatlow-Golden, M. (Eds.).
- Public Policies to Reduce Sugary Drink Consumption in Children and Adolescents. (2019). Pediatrics. Muth, N. D., et al.
- School Breakfast Program. Food Research and Action Center.
- Snacks, Sweetened Beverages, Added Sugars, and Schools. (2015). Pediatrics. American Academy of Pediatrics, Council on School Health & Committee on Nutrition.
- Soda on the Menu: Improvements Seen But More Change Needed for Beverages on Restaurant Children's Menus. (2017). Center for Science in the Public Interest. Ribakove, S., et al.
- Sugary Drink F.A.C.T.S. 2020. (2020). Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. Harris, J. L., et al.
- The Associations Between Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption and Children’s Health: An Updated Review of the Literature. (2018). Healthy Eating Research. Bleich, S. N., & Vercammen, K. A.
- The Healthy Communities Study: Examining Community Programs, Policies and Other Characteristics in Relation to Child Weight, Diet, and Physical Activity. (2018). Pediatric Obesity. Kumanyika, S. K. (Ed.).
- The Role of the Federal Child Nutrition Programs in Improving Health and Well-Being. (2017). Food Research and Action Center. Hartline-Grafton, H.
- Trends in Food Sources and Diet Quality Among U.S. Children and Adults, 2003-2018. (2021). JAMA Network Open. Liu, J., et al.
- Trends in Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among California Children. (2020). Public Health Nutrition. Beck, A. L., et al.
- County/Regional Reports
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- Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County. Orange County Children's Partnership.
- Community Health Equity Improvement Plan for Los Angeles County. Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health.
- Community Health Profiles. Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health.
- San Mateo County All Together Better. San Mateo County Health.
- Santa Clara County Children's Data Book. Santa Clara County Office of Education, et al.
- Santa Clara County Public Health Department: Open Data Portal
- More Data Sources For Nutrition
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- California Health and Human Services Open Data Portal. California Health and Human Services Agency.
- California Health Interview Survey. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
- California School Climate, Health, and Learning Surveys Public Dashboards. WestEd & California Dept. of Education.
- Health, United States – Data Finder. National Center for Health Statistics.
- Map the Meal Gap. Feeding America.
- National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity: Data, Trends, and Maps. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- State and County Nutrition Profiles. Nourish California.
- State of the States: Profiles of Hunger, Poverty, and Federal Nutrition Programs. Food Research and Action Center.
- U.S. Dept. of Agriculture: Data Products
- Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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