Research Library
Impact of School Breakfast on Children's Health and Learning: an Analysis of the Scientific Research
Author: Brown, L., Beardslee, W., Prothrow-Stith, D.
Publisher: Sodexo Foundation
Publication Date: 2008, November
Summary or Abstract: This study is the third in a series sponsored by the Sodexo Foundation and conducted by the Center on Poverty and Hunger. The body of evidence, drawn from more than 100 published research articles, provides the scientific basis for concluding that the School Breakfast Program (SBP) is highly effective in terms of providing children with a stronger basis to learn in school, eat more nutritious diets, and lead more healthy lives both emotionally and physically. When children fail to get sufficient dietary energy, particularly in the mornings, their cognitive capacity is impaired: their brains do not have sufficient fuel for attention, concentration and learning. Ten million low-income children in the US are eligible for the SBP, but do not receive it, due to non-participation by their schools and districts. Altogether, states lose an estimated half a billion dollars annually in school breakfast funding from Congress. The researchers conclude that the scientific evidence indicates that full participation by all U.S. school districts in the federally funded SBP would be a win for children and a win for the nation.