Objectives: To place Smart Snacks in vending machines and determine if different sales strategies affect "Smart Snack" selection. Participants: University students living in resident halls. Methods: Vending machines included 50% "Smart Snacks" and 50% non compliant snacks. Three sales strategies targeted student selection of…

Research has suggested that availability of healthful food varies according to rurality/urbanicity, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation, and sociodemographic variables. We investigated differences in variety and cost of fruits and vegetables in convenience stores, grocery stores, and supermarkets across Mississippi. We…

This dissertation consists of two chapters on topics in Industrial Organization. In Chapter 1, I discuss a central question of the policy debate on public education: how to get more for less. Charter schools have been a tool in this arena to pressure traditional public schools to improve or lose students to them. Moreover, charter schools…

Objective: To understand the distribution of healthy and unhealthy food stores near historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Participants and methods: Using ArcGIS Pro's network analysis tools and ReferenceUSA database, this study characterized the healthy (favorable) and unhealthy (unfavorable) retail food stores within a 5-mile…

Objectives: This study assessed food label reading habits and understanding of nutrition information on food labels by higher income adults in India. Design: It involved a cross-sectional study using non-probability purposive sampling. Setting: Data were collected by mixed methods approach between March 2019 and February 2020. Adults were selected…

This study identified the influence of parents' perceived risks and benefits on children's avoidance of street food near schools in Indonesia. It also assessed how food risk knowledge and trust in food sellers influence risk - benefit perceptions and the moderating effect of school type. An online survey was conducted with 576 parents of…

Objective: To assess whether and how beverage companies incentivize universities to maximize sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) sales through pouring rights contracts. Methods: Cross-sectional study of contracts between beverage companies and public U.S. universities with 20,000 or more students active in 2018 or 2019. We requested contracts from 143…

We study the private market response to the National School Lunch Program, documenting economically meaningful spillovers to non-recipients. We focus on the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), an expansion of the lunch program under the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. Under the CEP, participating schools offer free lunch to all students. We…

"Objective:" Evaluate college students' perception of the effectiveness of different vending machine (VM) interventions for improving snack selection. "Participants:" A total of 194 college students with the age of =18 years. "Method:" A cross-sectional survey among a purposive sampling near VM. "Results:"…

Background: Nutritional interventions can help to develop healthy eating patterns during the transition to university, which is a critical transition for all college students. Purpose: This research aims to analyze eating behaviors and food choices through sustainable nutritional education interventions with college students from a multinational…

Virtual-reality business simulation games (VRBSGs) have garnered attention in management education. However, investigating the design of efficient VRBSGs from an integrated perspective of social cognitive, self-determination, and cognitive load theories is crucial but under-addressed. Therefore, this study developed a VRBSG learning system to…

Food retailers are key stakeholders in the development, implementation, and effectiveness of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) nutrition pilot programs. Qualitative interviews were conducted to gather insight from food retailers regarding the feasibility of proposed strategies to improve food choices among SNAP participants. Two…

Background: College is the first environment in which students are responsible for making all decisions relating to their eating and exercise behaviors. Of all contributing factors to overweight and obesity, one main influence seems to be the environment. Purpose: This study explored college students' perceptions of their nutrition environment on…

This paper estimates the effect of the 2005 vending machine ban in French secondary schools on nutrient intakes and on the frequency of morning snacking at school. Using data before and after the ban, and exploiting the discontinuity associated with the age-dependent exposure to the ban, we specify a difference-in-differences regression…

Background: Lower-income families in the United States are at increased risk for food insecurity and have higher rates of tobacco use. Many retailers accepting government food assistance benefits also sell tobacco products, whose marketing promotes smoking initiation and undermines quit attempts. We examined the presence of tobacco marketing in…