Methodology To Evaluate Outcomes of the Team Nutrition Initiative in Schools

This project develops a data collection methodology to evaluate outcomes of Team Nutrition, a voluntary USDA school-based initiative to promote nutrition education, healthy eating, and physical activity. The project uses information technology to collect high-quality data while decreasing respondent and investigator burden and lowering costs of collecting and analyzing evaluation data. Seven data collection instruments were developed: Five collect information from school personnel, one collects information from students, and the seventh is an on-site observation of the school environment. The instruments are being pilot-tested in one State, but because Team Nutrition is a national initiative, the methodology could be useful to other States.