A Comparison of Food Policy and Practice Reporting between Credentialed and Noncredentialed Ohio School Foodservice Directors

With rising childhood obesity rates and the increasing complexity of the school food environment, practitioners working in school nutrition need adequate preparation for their responsibilities. School foodservice directors (SFSDs) vary widely in their academic preparation, and there are no established standards for individuals in this occupation. Credentialing provides a way in which baseline knowledge of SFSDs can be established; however, little is known about the influence of such credentials on food-related policies and practices in public schools. Our cross-sectional study compared the reported food policies and practices between credentialed and noncredentialed SFSDs within all districts (N=364) of the Ohio public school system during the 2009-2010 school year. Using a Likert-type format, policy and practice scores were measured by asking participants to respond to statements adapted from the School Health Index assessment tool. Differences in the policy and practice scores reported by SFSDs holding a food-related credential and those not holding a credential were determined by t test. Results indicated that respondents with a food-related credential were more likely to report both comprehensive food-related policies (14.51 vs 13.39; range=0 to 21) and practices (33.86 vs 32.50; range=0 to 39). These findings support the value of credentialing SFSDs. However, further research is required to establish which credential provides the optimal match in the provision of high quality nutrition care to schoolchildren.