Position Statement on School Breakfast Program

History: The School Breakfast Program was established by Congress as an entitlement program in 1975, with the objective of providing “a nutritious, well balanced breakfast in order to promote sound eating habits and foster good health and academic achievement in school age children.” In the 2001-2002 school year 8.1 million children in more than 75,000 schools throughout the country participated in the School Breakfast Program. New Jersey ranks last in the nation in School Breakfast Program participation, serving breakfast in only sixteen percent of its school districts. In January 2003, New Jersey passed legislation which requires districts, where 20-40 percent or more of the students are eligible for Federally subsidized meals, to implement a School Breakfast Program.

Rationale: Working families, long bus rides and poverty, all contribute to the steady decline in the number of students who eat breakfast. Studies show that omitting breakfast interferes with cognition and learning. Students who eat breakfast regularly have less school absenteeism, tardiness, and behavior problems. When students participate in school breakfast programs, their attendance and academic scores improve and they make fewer visits to the school nurse. Eating school breakfast also improves the nutritional status of children at nutritional risk. Providing school breakfast and lunch is a means of integrating nutrition into the educational program. The federally funded School Breakfast Program, which provides a “safety net” for many children at nutritional risk, is underutilized.

Conclusion: It is the position of the New Jersey State School Nurses Association that a nutritious breakfast is essential to learning and good health. We, therefore support the availability of breakfast to students through participation in the School Breakfast Program.

References:

Kleinman, R.E., Hall, S., Green, H., Korzec-Ramirez, D., Pataton, K., & Pagano, J.M. (2002) Diet, breakfast, and academic performance in children. Ann Nutr Metab, 46 (Suppl 1) 24-30.

Local support for nutrition integrity in schools . (2000) J AM Diet Assoc, 100, 108-111

Murphy JM, Pagano ME, Nachmani J, Sperling P, Kane S, Kleinman RE. (1998) The relationship of school breakfast to psychosocial and academic functioning: cross-sectional and longitudinal observations in an inner-city school sample. Arch Pediatr Adoclesc Med, 152 (9) 800-907.

New Jersey Department of Agriculture, School Breakfast Program Fact Sheet

Pollitt, E. (1995) Does breakfast make a difference in school? J Am Diet Assoc. 95, 1134-1139.

Pollitt, E. and Mathews, R. (1998) Breakfast and cognition: in integrative summary. Am J Clin Nutr, 67 (Suppl) 804S-813S.

Authors: Irene McShane, R.N., N.C.S.N., Mary Epprecht A.P.N., N.C.S.N., Rita McKeon, R.N., M.A., Millie Evans, R.N.,N.C.S.N., Carol McGotty, R.N.,M.S.