Two years later: wellness councils and healthier vending in a cohort of middle and high schools.

Objective: To examine the association between school wellness council structure over 2 years and low-nutrient, energy-dense vending fare assessed as a food score (range: 0-7), following enactment of federal legislation.

Methods: Multivariate linear regression was used to examine 2006/2007 and 2008/2009 data among a cohort of middle (n = 16) and high (n = 38) schools located in a Midwest metropolitan area.

Results: Schools with district and school councils had a significantly lower mean food score (3.28) than schools with district-only (4.50) and no councils (4.99).

Conclusions: Wellness councils, particularly a structure that includes both a district and school council, may contribute to decreasing low-nutrient, energy-dense food/beverage availability in middle and high schools.