The influence of dietary environment and school lunch service on the nutritional awareness, eating habits, appreciation of the school lunch service and health were studied by a questionnaire survey conducted on 1,378 students in the first to third grades of six junior high schools in Yamanashi Prefecture. Significant differences were found by a factor analysis among the students from the six schools between the response rate to the questionnaire and the standard scores. The students from two schools who were served lunches prepared in their school kitchens had a desirable dietary environment and were in excellent health. The students from two other schools were catered for by an outside food contractor and showed the lowest standard scores for their appreciation of the school lunch service. A path analysis showed that a desirable dietary environment was significantly correlated with healthy nutritional awareness and eating habits. Such awareness and habits were strongly correlated with the students' dietary education and social contact during school lunches.
