Peer-reviewed article
Facilitators and Barriers to Participation in the US Department of Agriculture's Summer Nutrition Programs for Kids Meals Programs Among Parents of Elementary School-Aged Children After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Secondary Analysis of Cross-Sectional Survey Data.
Lee J, Yip W, Jiang Z, Harnack LJ, Fulkerson JA ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examines why some parents in Minnesota enroll their elementary school children in the US Department of Agriculture's Summer Nutrition Programs for Kids meals program while others do not. Among 111 surveyed parents, 68% participated and cited benefits including saving money, convenient location, and relief from worry about child hunger. The 32% of non-participants identified barriers including lack of awareness, transportation challenges, and inconvenient meal times. The research suggests that better communication and addressing logistical barriers could increase program participation.
Key points
- 68% of surveyed parents had enrolled their children in the summer meals program
- Participating parents most frequently reported saving money (81%), convenient location (47%), and relief from worry about child hunger (45%) as facilitators
- Non-participating parents identified limited awareness (39%), lack of transportation (25%), and distance to meal sites (25%) as key barriers
- Participants also valued exposure to healthful or new foods (44%) and the absence of required sign-up procedures (43%)
- Food insecurity in children increases during summer months when school meal programs are not available
Limitations
This study uses cross-sectional survey data from only one US state (Minnesota), so findings may not generalize to other regions with different demographics, transportation infrastructure, or program implementation. The secondary analysis is limited to the questions and data already collected, and the study does not explore deeper reasons behind the barriers or test interventions to address them.
Abstract
Background Food insecurity in children increases during the summer, yet participation in the US Department of Agriculture's Summer Nutrition Programs for Kids (SUN) meals program, which provides free meals/snacks, remains low. Examining reasons for children's participation or nonparticipation is needed to identify strategies to increase the program's reach. Objective This study aims to examine facilitators and barriers to SUN meals programs participation perceived by parents of elementary school-aged children after the COVID-19 pandemic. Design This study employed a secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data. Participants and setting Data were from 2 cohorts of parents of elementary school-aged children in Minnesota who were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch based on income. Participants (n = 111) completed surveys at their homes or public libraries from May to August 2023 and from March to July 2024. Main outcome measures Based on children's previous participation status (yes/no) in a SUN meals program, parents self-reported either facilitators or barriers using the items developed by the research team and 1 additional open-ended question. Statistical analyses performed Descriptive statistics, including means, SDs, and percentages, were calculated, and bivariate analyses were conducted using χ2 and Fisher's exact tests. Results Parents of participating children (68%) frequently reported facilitators such as saving money (81%), convenient location (47%), relieving worry about children's hunger (45%), exposure to healthful or new foods (44%), and no required sign-up (43%). Nonparticipating children's parents (32%) identified barriers of limited awareness of the program (39%), lack of transportation to meal sites (25%), distance to meal sites (25%), and inconvenient mealtimes (22%). Conclusions SUN program participants highlighted financial, psychosocial, and nutritional benefits, whereas program nonparticipants indicated limited awareness and logistical barriers. Continued efforts are needed to communicate the program's benefits while addressing limited awareness and logistical barriers to expand the program's reach.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- US Department of Agriculture's Summer Nutrition Programs for Kids (SUN) meals program, which provides free meals and snacks to elementary school-aged children
- Population
- Parents of elementary school-aged children in Minnesota eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (n=111)
Key finding
68% of parents reported their children participated in the summer meals program