Punam Ohri-Vachaspati
Biographic Data
| ID | 6058166 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Punam Ohri-Vachaspati |
| GIVEN NAMES | Punam |
| FAMILY NAME | Ohri-Vachaspati |
| SIGNATURE | OHRI-VACHASPATI P |
| AFFILIATIONS | Arizona State University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9619-9816 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 39 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 23 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 39 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1998 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Alternative Breakfast Service Models Are Associated With Greater Student School Breakfast Participation: Evidence From Middle and High School Students Across 8 States
BACKGROUND: Eating school breakfast has benefits for students, yet participation remains lower than that of school lunch. This study examined associations between school breakfast service models, self-reported participation, and perceived participation barriers, and whether these associations differed by school level (middle vs. high) and universal school meals policy (with vs. without). METHODS: One thousand ninety-seven middle and high school s…
Competitive food availability in schools before and after the onset of Covid-19: An interrupted time series analysis
Purpose: School meal programs often offer competitive foods (CF), sold during lunch outside school meals and/or in vending machines. Although required to meet nutrition guidelines, CF are often less nutritious than school meals, and their presence is associated with lower meal participation. This study examines the prevalence of CF in public schools before and after COVID-19. Methods: Surveys examining the school food environment were conducted i…
Foodservice Directors' Perceived Barriers to Student Participation in School Meals When Meals Were Served Free of Charge During the 2021–2022 School Year
BACKGROUND: School meals were served free of charge to all public school students in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, but some students still did not participate. METHODS: In this mixed-methods study, surveys and interviews were conducted with food service directors (FSDs) from California (n = 556 surveys; n = 29 interviews) and Maine (n = 43 surveys; n = 20 interviews) during spring 2022. Survey data was analyzed using multivariab…
Understanding Free or Reduced‐Price School Meal Stigma: A Qualitative Analysis of Parent Perspectives
BACKGROUND: Receiving free or reduced-price meals (FRPM) at school benefits resource-constrained families financially and nutritionally. However, many families in the United States do not apply for FRPM, and many eligible students do not eat school meals, possibly due to stigma. METHODS: This study is a secondary qualitative analysis derived from a mixed-methods study. Interviews were conducted with 66 parents in California and Maine during the 2…
Factors and Outcomes Associated With Using Scratch‐Cooked, Organic, and Locally Grown Foods in School Meals in California
BACKGROUND: Incorporating scratch-cooked, organic, and locally grown foods into school meal programs can enhance meal quality and support local food systems. METHODS: 430 California school food authorities were surveyed to (1) evaluate their use of scratch-cooked, organic, and locally grown foods in their programs; (2) identify demographic and operational characteristics related to this use; and (3) analyze the relationship between serving more o…
Emergency Free School Meal Distribution Across Phases of the Covid ‐19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Study
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic triggered nationwide school closures in March 2020, putting millions of children in the United States who depended on subsidized school meals at risk of hunger. In response, the US Department of Agriculture activated the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) program to provide emergency free school meals. This study examined organizations' experiences implementing these programs from…
WIC Participant and Local Agency Staff Perspectives on Increased Cash‐Value Benefits for Fruits and Vegetables Within an American Indian Tribal Organization
In 2021, participants in the United States Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) received an unprecedented increase in a cash-value benefit for fruits and vegetables (CVB) as a part of their monthly food package. Responses to this increase among WIC staff and American Indian populations are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to assess perceptions and diet-related behaviors of both WIC staff …
Drinking Water Availability in Public Schools: An Assessment of Four New Jersey School Districts
While most schools surveyed provide access to clean, free drinking water, students in some schools still lack free access to drinking water during school meals, which may affect overall water consumption among students
Impact of mealtime social experiences on student consumption of meals at school: A qualitative analysis of caregiver perspectives
Objective: To understand caregivers’ perceptions about their children’s mealtime social experiences at school and how they believe these social experiences impact their children’s consumption of meals at school (both meals brought from home and school meals). Design: Qualitative data were originally collected as part of a larger mixed methods study using an embedded-QUAN dominant research design. Setting: Semi-structured interviews were conducted…
School staff perspectives on Universal Free Meals in the USA
Objective: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Department of Agriculture allowed all US schools to offer meals at no cost regardless of family income, a policy known as Universal Free Meals (UFM). Despite the recognised benefits of UFM, the policy expired in June 2022. The goal of this study was to gather perceptions of school staff in Arizona about school meals, UFM and the discontinuation of UFM. Design: This mixed-method study collected data …
A natural experiment to assess recess frequency on children’s physical activity in Arizona (U.S.) elementary schools
Students attending elementary schools implementing 2 + recesses, in accordance with state policy, demonstrated greater MVPA and less sedentary time, providing preliminary evidence that recess frequency is associated with greater PA intensity among children during recess. Schools that adhere to state-level PA policies may provide a more supportive environment for PA, resulting in increased movement among students. Specifying recess frequency shoul…
The association between unhealthy dietary behaviors and participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): No evidence in support of the self-selection hypothesis
Walkability around the worksite and self-reported and accelerometer-measured physical activity among adults
School Garden Prevalence Before and After the Implementation of the Healthy Hunger‐Free Kids Act
BACKGROUND: The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010 supported implementation of school gardens for promoting fruit and vegetable consumption. We examined school garden prevalence over time by school-level factors during the period before and after the implementation of HHFKA. METHODS: Using data from the New Jersey Child Health Study, conducted in 4 low-income New Jersey cities, prevalence of school gardens among K-12 schools (n = 148) w…
What Influences the Credibility of Printed Nutrition Education Materials
Objectives: In this study, we aimed to determine the influence of aesthetics and color of printed nutrition education materials on perceived credibility of the material content. Methods: A randomized 2 x 2 (aesthetics and color) factorial experimental design was completed on a university campus. Undergraduate and graduate students (N=204) were randomly assigned one of 4 types of flyers (high aesthetic-color, high aesthetic-black-and-white, low ae…
Street Food Stand Availability, Density, and Distribution Across Income Levels in Mexico City
Street food stands (SFS) are an understudied element of the food environment. Previous SFS studies have not used a rigorous approach to document the availability, density, and distribution of SFS across neighborhood income levels and points of access in Mexico City. A random sample ( n = 761) of street segments representing 20 low-, middle-, and high-income neighborhoods were assessed using geographic information system (GIS) and ground-truthing …
Do Parental Perceptions of the Nutritional Quality of School Meals Reflect the Food Environment in Public Schools
(1) Background: It is unknown whether parents' perception of school meals, a determinant of student meal participation, align with the nutritional quality of meals served in schools. This study compares the healthfulness of foods offered in schools with parental perception of school meals at those same schools. (2) Method: Parents were asked to rate the healthfulness of school meals at their child's school. Data on the types of foods offered were…
Prevalence of Evidence-Based School Meal Practices and Associations with Reported Food Waste across a National Sample of U.S. Elementary Schools
Providing meals at school is an important part of the hunger safety net for children in the United States and worldwide; however, many children do not receive school meals even when they qualify for federally-subsidized free or reduced-priced meals. This study investigates the prevalence of several evidence-based practices that have previously been shown to increase the reach and impact of school meals. A survey was sent to a national sample of U…
Psychometric properties of the Food Environment Assessment Survey Tool (Feast) in people with mobility impairment
Objective: Approximately one in ten adults under the age of 65 in the USA has a mobility impairing disability. People with mobility impairment generally have poorer dietary habits contributing to obesity and related negative health outcomes. This article presents the psychometric properties of the Food Environment Assessment Survey Tool (FEAST) instrument that measures barriers to accessing healthy food from the perspective of people with mobilit…
Availability, variety and distribution of healthy and unhealthy foods and beverages sold at street food stands in Mexico City
Objective: To examine differences in the availability, variety and distribution of foods and beverages sold at street food stands (SFS) across neighbourhood income levels in Mexico City. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Twenty neighbourhoods representing low-, middle- and high-income levels in Mexico City. Participants: Direct observations of SFS ( n 391). Results: The availability of healthy foods such as fruits/vegetables was high in middle- a…
Individual-, family-, and contextual-level variables do not explain the protective effect of parental nativity status on changes in 3–15-year-old children's BMI
Individual-, family-, and contextual-level factors can simultaneously and interactively affect a child's body mass index (BMI). We examine parental nativity as a key determinant of changes in children's BMI over time. Prior research on this topic has been inconclusive. A longitudinal sample of households with children residing in four low-income, high minority New Jersey cities provided data on demographics, socioeconomic status, anthropometric m…
Developing Content for the Food Environment Assessment Survey Tool (Feast): A Systematic Mixed Methods Study with People with Disabilities
Almost 1 in every 8 adults in the U.S. have a physical disability that impairs mobility. This participatory project aimed to identify and describe environmental and personal barriers to healthy eating among people with mobility impairments using a rigorous, structured mixed methodology. Community-dwelling adults with a self-reported mobility impairment ( N = 20, M = 40.4 years old, 60% female) participated in nominal group technique focus groups.…
Healthy Food Access in Low-Income High-Minority Communities: A Longitudinal Assessment—2009–2017
Disparities in healthy food access are well documented in cross-sectional studies in communities across the United States. However, longitudinal studies examining changes in food environments within various neighborhood contexts are scarce. In a sample of 142 census tracts in four low-income, high-minority cities in New Jersey, United States, we examined the availability of different types of food stores by census tract characteristics over time …
The Association among Emotions and Food Choices in First-Year College Students Using mobile-Ecological Momentary Assessments
Negative and positive emotions were significantly associated with food choices. mEMA methodology provides a unique opportunity to examine these associations within and between people, providing insights for individual and population-level interventions. These findings can be used to guide future longitudinal studies and to develop and test interventions that encourage healthy food choices among first-year college students and ultimately reduce th…
Demographic Relationships to Students’ Fruit and Vegetable Intake
Objective Fruit and vegetable (FV) intake remains inadequate in youth and differs across demographic subgroups. We examined relationships between student demographic characteristics and amounts of fresh FV selected, consumed, and wasted at school lunch. MethodsRandomly selected students (N = 294) at 3 middle schools participated. Weights (g) of FV selected and wasted were measured. School-cluster adjusted regressions examined the association betw…
Relative and Absolute Availability of Healthier Food and Beverage Alternatives Across Communities in the United States
Objectives. We examined associations between the relative and absolute availability of healthier food and beverage alternatives at food stores and community racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and urban–rural characteristics. Methods. We analyzed pooled, annual cross-sectional data collected in 2010 to 2012 from 8462 food stores in 468 communities spanning 46 US states. Relative availability was the ratio of 7 healthier products (e.g., whole-wheat brea…
Patterns of food and physical activity environments related to children's food and activity behaviors: A latent class analysis
Implementation of Wireless Terminals at Farmers’ Markets: Impact on SNAP Redemption and Overall Sales
Although farmers’ markets offer healthy foods for purchase, many lack the equipment necessary to process convenient, card-based transactions. We assessed the impact of providing wireless terminals to 5 markets on overall sales and redemption of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Sales increased significantly at 4 of the 5 markets after implementation of the terminals, and overall sales increased above and beyond SNAP redem…
Predictors of Farmers’ Market Shopping among People Receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefits
Promoting use of farmers’ markets ( FM s) is a promising community‐level strategy to increase access to nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables. Yet, FM shopping among people with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( SNAP ) benefits remains low. This research examined predictors of FM shopping among SNAP recipients living within 1 mile of a FM . A cross‐sectional survey of SNAP participants ( N = 270) was conducted in 2015 in Clevel…
Parental perception of the nutritional quality of school meals and its association with students’ school lunch participation
The association between unhealthy dietary behaviors and participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): No evidence in support of the self-selection hypothesis
Predicted Impact of the Food and Drug Administration’s Menu-Labeling Regulations on Restaurants in 4 New Jersey Cities
Objectives. To determine the proportion of restaurants that will be required to post calorie information under the Food and Drug Administration’s menu-labeling regulations in 4 New Jersey cities. Methods. We classified geocoded 2014 data on 1753 restaurant outlets in accordance with the Food and Drug Administration’s guidelines, which will require restaurants with 20 or more locations nationwide to post calorie information. We used multivariate l…
The effects of data collection methods on calorie–expenditure elasticity estimates: A study from the Dominican Republic
Iron in the diets of rural Honduran women and children
Iron deficiency, a major cause of nutritional anemia, is the most prevalent micronutrient deficiency in the world. One of the main causes of iron deficiency anemia in developing countries is poor availability of absorbable iron from the diet. This study investigates the level of iron intake, bio‐availability, and adequacy in the diets of women and children in the rural west of Honduras. We find that the dietary iron status of this population is v…
Implementation of Wireless Terminals at Farmers’ Markets: Impact on SNAP Redemption and Overall Sales
Although farmers’ markets offer healthy foods for purchase, many lack the equipment necessary to process convenient, card-based transactions. We assessed the impact of providing wireless terminals to 5 markets on overall sales and redemption of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Sales increased significantly at 4 of the 5 markets after implementation of the terminals, and overall sales increased above and beyond SNAP redem…
Bertmann et al. Respond
It is gratifying to read that the author of the letter observed improvements to overall sales and electronic benefit transfer (EBT) redemption during similar work conducted at Penn State College of Medicine in 2010. In subsequent interactions at our farmers’ markets, we also observed a comparable trend in vendors conducting point-of-sale transactions through smart phones and tablet devices. A study under way in our group at Arizona State Universi…
The Influence of Parental Nativity, Neighborhood Disadvantage and the Built Environment on Physical Activity Behaviors in Latino Youth
Hunger, overconsumption and youth: Future directions for research in school-based public health nutrition strategies
Hunger, overconsumption and youth: future directions for research in school-based public health nutrition strategies
Parental perception of the nutritional quality of school meals and its association with students’ school lunch participation
Relative and Absolute Availability of Healthier Food and Beverage Alternatives Across Communities in the United States
Objectives. We examined associations between the relative and absolute availability of healthier food and beverage alternatives at food stores and community racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and urban–rural characteristics. Methods. We analyzed pooled, annual cross-sectional data collected in 2010 to 2012 from 8462 food stores in 468 communities spanning 46 US states. Relative availability was the ratio of 7 healthier products (e.g., whole-wheat brea…
The relative contribution of layers of the Social Ecological Model to childhood obesity
Objective The Social Ecological Model (SEM) has been used to describe the aetiology of childhood obesity and to develop a framework for prevention. The current paper applies the SEM to data collected at multiple levels, representing different layers of the SEM, and examines the unique and relative contribution of each layer to children’s weight status. Design Cross-sectional survey of randomly selected households with children living in low-incom…
Longitudinal social networks impacts on weight and weight-related behaviors assessed using mobile-based ecological momentary assessments: Study Protocols for the SPARC study
Findings are intended to guide the development of more effective interventions to enhance behaviors among college students that protect against weight gain during college
Patterns of food and physical activity environments related to children's food and activity behaviors: A latent class analysis
The Association among Emotions and Food Choices in First-Year College Students Using mobile-Ecological Momentary Assessments
Negative and positive emotions were significantly associated with food choices. mEMA methodology provides a unique opportunity to examine these associations within and between people, providing insights for individual and population-level interventions. These findings can be used to guide future longitudinal studies and to develop and test interventions that encourage healthy food choices among first-year college students and ultimately reduce th…
Demographic Relationships to Students’ Fruit and Vegetable Intake
Objective Fruit and vegetable (FV) intake remains inadequate in youth and differs across demographic subgroups. We examined relationships between student demographic characteristics and amounts of fresh FV selected, consumed, and wasted at school lunch. MethodsRandomly selected students (N = 294) at 3 middle schools participated. Weights (g) of FV selected and wasted were measured. School-cluster adjusted regressions examined the association betw…
Predictors of Farmers’ Market Shopping among People Receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefits
Promoting use of farmers’ markets ( FM s) is a promising community‐level strategy to increase access to nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables. Yet, FM shopping among people with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( SNAP ) benefits remains low. This research examined predictors of FM shopping among SNAP recipients living within 1 mile of a FM . A cross‐sectional survey of SNAP participants ( N = 270) was conducted in 2015 in Clevel…
Impact of the 2010 US Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act on School Breakfast and Lunch Participation Rates Between 2008 and 2015
Objectives. To evaluate National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) participation over a 7-year period before and after the implementation of the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA), which required healthier school lunch options beginning in school year (SY) 2012–2013 and healthier school breakfast options beginning in SY2013–2014. Methods. Data were gathered from low-income, high-minority public schools in 4 Ne…
Predicted Impact of the Food and Drug Administration’s Menu-Labeling Regulations on Restaurants in 4 New Jersey Cities
Objectives. To determine the proportion of restaurants that will be required to post calorie information under the Food and Drug Administration’s menu-labeling regulations in 4 New Jersey cities. Methods. We classified geocoded 2014 data on 1753 restaurant outlets in accordance with the Food and Drug Administration’s guidelines, which will require restaurants with 20 or more locations nationwide to post calorie information. We used multivariate l…
Healthy Food Access in Low-Income High-Minority Communities: A Longitudinal Assessment—2009–2017
Disparities in healthy food access are well documented in cross-sectional studies in communities across the United States. However, longitudinal studies examining changes in food environments within various neighborhood contexts are scarce. In a sample of 142 census tracts in four low-income, high-minority cities in New Jersey, United States, we examined the availability of different types of food stores by census tract characteristics over time …
Individual-, family-, and contextual-level variables do not explain the protective effect of parental nativity status on changes in 3–15-year-old children's BMI
Individual-, family-, and contextual-level factors can simultaneously and interactively affect a child's body mass index (BMI). We examine parental nativity as a key determinant of changes in children's BMI over time. Prior research on this topic has been inconclusive. A longitudinal sample of households with children residing in four low-income, high minority New Jersey cities provided data on demographics, socioeconomic status, anthropometric m…
Developing Content for the Food Environment Assessment Survey Tool (Feast): A Systematic Mixed Methods Study with People with Disabilities
Almost 1 in every 8 adults in the U.S. have a physical disability that impairs mobility. This participatory project aimed to identify and describe environmental and personal barriers to healthy eating among people with mobility impairments using a rigorous, structured mixed methodology. Community-dwelling adults with a self-reported mobility impairment ( N = 20, M = 40.4 years old, 60% female) participated in nominal group technique focus groups.…
Street Food Stand Availability, Density, and Distribution Across Income Levels in Mexico City
Street food stands (SFS) are an understudied element of the food environment. Previous SFS studies have not used a rigorous approach to document the availability, density, and distribution of SFS across neighborhood income levels and points of access in Mexico City. A random sample ( n = 761) of street segments representing 20 low-, middle-, and high-income neighborhoods were assessed using geographic information system (GIS) and ground-truthing …
Do Parental Perceptions of the Nutritional Quality of School Meals Reflect the Food Environment in Public Schools
(1) Background: It is unknown whether parents' perception of school meals, a determinant of student meal participation, align with the nutritional quality of meals served in schools. This study compares the healthfulness of foods offered in schools with parental perception of school meals at those same schools. (2) Method: Parents were asked to rate the healthfulness of school meals at their child's school. Data on the types of foods offered were…
Prevalence of Evidence-Based School Meal Practices and Associations with Reported Food Waste across a National Sample of U.S. Elementary Schools
Providing meals at school is an important part of the hunger safety net for children in the United States and worldwide; however, many children do not receive school meals even when they qualify for federally-subsidized free or reduced-priced meals. This study investigates the prevalence of several evidence-based practices that have previously been shown to increase the reach and impact of school meals. A survey was sent to a national sample of U…
Psychometric properties of the Food Environment Assessment Survey Tool (Feast) in people with mobility impairment
Objective: Approximately one in ten adults under the age of 65 in the USA has a mobility impairing disability. People with mobility impairment generally have poorer dietary habits contributing to obesity and related negative health outcomes. This article presents the psychometric properties of the Food Environment Assessment Survey Tool (FEAST) instrument that measures barriers to accessing healthy food from the perspective of people with mobilit…
Availability, variety and distribution of healthy and unhealthy foods and beverages sold at street food stands in Mexico City
Objective: To examine differences in the availability, variety and distribution of foods and beverages sold at street food stands (SFS) across neighbourhood income levels in Mexico City. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Twenty neighbourhoods representing low-, middle- and high-income levels in Mexico City. Participants: Direct observations of SFS ( n 391). Results: The availability of healthy foods such as fruits/vegetables was high in middle- a…
School Garden Prevalence Before and After the Implementation of the Healthy Hunger‐Free Kids Act
BACKGROUND: The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010 supported implementation of school gardens for promoting fruit and vegetable consumption. We examined school garden prevalence over time by school-level factors during the period before and after the implementation of HHFKA. METHODS: Using data from the New Jersey Child Health Study, conducted in 4 low-income New Jersey cities, prevalence of school gardens among K-12 schools (n = 148) w…
Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet (31 works) · Medicine (30 works) · Environmental health (24 works) · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations (19 works) · Psychology (19 works) · Gerontology (13 works) · Demography (11 works) · Geography (11 works) · Sociology (9 works) · Business (8 works)