Understanding Free or Reduced-Price School Meal Stigma: A Qualitative Analysis of Parent Perspectives
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| Title: | Understanding Free or Reduced-Price School Meal Stigma: A Qualitative Analysis of Parent Perspectives |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Leah Elizabeth Chapman (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of School Health. 2025 95(6):389-399. |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 11 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Health Programs, Low Income Students, Parents, Parent Attitudes, Negative Attitudes, Social Attitudes |
| Geographic Terms: | California, Maine |
| DOI: | 10.1111/josh.70004 |
| ISSN: | 0022-4391 1746-1561 |
| Abstract: | 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 2021--2022 school year when school meals were free for all students nationwide through a universal free school meals (UFSM) policy. Approximately half (56%) of parents had children who previously qualified for FRPM based on household income and completed a school meal application or were directly certified for free school meals in prior school years. Interviews examined parents' self-reported FRPM application stigma, perceived child school meal stigma, and opinions on UFSM. Thematic analysis was used to systematically code and analyze all qualitative data. Results: Major themes included parent stigma associated with school meal applications, parents' perception of child stigma when participating in school meals, and UFSM's ability to reduce stigma for parents and children. Implications for School Health Policy, Practice, and Equity: Statewide and federal UFSM policies may reduce stigma for both parents and children. Conclusions: While not all parents reported feeling stigmatized when completing FRPM applications, most parents perceived that children experience school meal stigma. Parents believed that UFSM policies reduced stigma for families and children. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1471633 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: eric DbLabel: ERIC An: EJ1471633 AccessLevel: 3 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Understanding Free or Reduced-Price School Meal Stigma: A Qualitative Analysis of Parent Perspectives – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Leah+Elizabeth+Chapman%22">Leah Elizabeth Chapman</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3773-2996">0000-0003-3773-2996</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wendi+Gosliner%22">Wendi Gosliner</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Marlene+B%2E+Schwartz%22">Marlene B. Schwartz</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8939-1954">0000-0002-8939-1954</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Monica+Daniela+Zuercher%22">Monica Daniela Zuercher</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2758-9807">0000-0003-2758-9807</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lorrene+D%2E+Ritchie%22">Lorrene D. Ritchie</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dania+Orta-Aleman%22">Dania Orta-Aleman</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8581-8714">0000-0001-8581-8714</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Christina+E%2E+Hecht%22">Christina E. Hecht</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kenneth+Hecht%22">Kenneth Hecht</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Michele+Polacsek%22">Michele Polacsek</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9646-7435">0000-0002-9646-7435</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Anisha+I%2E+Patel%22">Anisha I. Patel</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9198-7936">0000-0001-9198-7936</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Punam+Ohri-Vachaspati%22">Punam Ohri-Vachaspati</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Margaret+Read%22">Margaret Read</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Deborah+A%2E+Olarte%22">Deborah A. Olarte</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0133-4793">0000-0003-0133-4793</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Juliana+F%2E+W%2E+Cohen%22">Juliana F. W. Cohen</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+School+Health%22"><i>Journal of School Health</i></searchLink>. 2025 95(6):389-399. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 11 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+Programs%22">Health Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Low+Income+Students%22">Low Income Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parents%22">Parents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Attitudes%22">Parent Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Negative+Attitudes%22">Negative Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Attitudes%22">Social Attitudes</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22California%22">California</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Maine%22">Maine</searchLink> – Name: DOI Label: DOI Group: ID Data: 10.1111/josh.70004 – Name: ISSN Label: ISSN Group: ISSN Data: 0022-4391<br />1746-1561 – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: 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 2021--2022 school year when school meals were free for all students nationwide through a universal free school meals (UFSM) policy. Approximately half (56%) of parents had children who previously qualified for FRPM based on household income and completed a school meal application or were directly certified for free school meals in prior school years. Interviews examined parents' self-reported FRPM application stigma, perceived child school meal stigma, and opinions on UFSM. Thematic analysis was used to systematically code and analyze all qualitative data. Results: Major themes included parent stigma associated with school meal applications, parents' perception of child stigma when participating in school meals, and UFSM's ability to reduce stigma for parents and children. Implications for School Health Policy, Practice, and Equity: Statewide and federal UFSM policies may reduce stigma for both parents and children. Conclusions: While not all parents reported feeling stigmatized when completing FRPM applications, most parents perceived that children experience school meal stigma. Parents believed that UFSM policies reduced stigma for families and children. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: EJ1471633 |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1471633 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1111/josh.70004 Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 11 StartPage: 389 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Health Programs Type: general – SubjectFull: Low Income Students Type: general – SubjectFull: Parents Type: general – SubjectFull: Parent Attitudes Type: general – SubjectFull: Negative Attitudes Type: general – SubjectFull: Social Attitudes Type: general – SubjectFull: California Type: general – SubjectFull: Maine Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Understanding Free or Reduced-Price School Meal Stigma: A Qualitative Analysis of Parent Perspectives Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Leah Elizabeth Chapman – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Wendi Gosliner – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Marlene B. Schwartz – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Monica Daniela Zuercher – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Lorrene D. Ritchie – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Dania Orta-Aleman – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Christina E. Hecht – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Kenneth Hecht – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Michele Polacsek – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Anisha I. Patel – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Punam Ohri-Vachaspati – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Margaret Read – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Deborah A. Olarte – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Juliana F. W. Cohen IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 06 Type: published Y: 2025 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 0022-4391 – Type: issn-electronic Value: 1746-1561 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 95 – Type: issue Value: 6 Titles: – TitleFull: Journal of School Health Type: main |
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