School feeding program has resulted in improved dietary diversity, nutritional status and class attendance of school children

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Abstract

Background

School Feeding Program (SFP) is a targeted safety net program designed to provide educational and health benefits to vulnerable children. However, limited evidence exists regarding the effect of the intervention on the nutritional status and school attendance of children. The study is aimed at examining the effects of SFP on dietary diversity, nutritional status and class attendance of school children in Boricha district, Southern Ethiopia.

Methods

The study was conducted based on a representative data collected from 290 students drawn from the district. A school-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted on school children aged 10–14 years. Data were collected using structured pretested questionnaire. The effects of SFP on dietary diversity score (DDS), class attendance rate, body-mass-index for age (BAZ) and height-for-age (HAZ) Z-scores were assessed using multivariable linear regression model.

Results

The finding showed significantly higher mean (±SD) of DDS in SFP beneficiaries (5.8 ± 1.1) than the non-beneficiaries (3.5 ± 0.7) ( P < 0.001). BAZ and HAZ of the beneficiaries were also higher than their counterparts, which were (0.07 ± 0.93), (− 0.50 ± 0.86) and (− 1.45 ± 1.38), (− 2.17 ± 1.15) respectively (P < 0.001). The mean (±SD) days of absence from school for non-beneficiaries (2.6 ± 1.6) was significantly higher than that of the beneficiaries (1.3 ± 1.7) ( P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Given the positive effects of the program in improving the DDS, nutritional status, and class attendance of school children, we strongly recommend scaling up the program to other food insecure areas.

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Most cited references 13

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The nutritional status of school-aged children: why should we care?

Saskia Osendarp, Laura Van Driessche, C. Best … (2010)

The nutritional status of school-aged children impacts their health, cognition, and subsequently their educational achievement. The school is an opportune setting to provide health and nutrition services to disadvantaged children. Yet, school-aged children are not commonly included in health and nutrition surveys. An up-to-date overview of their nutritional status across the world is not available. To provide a summary of the recent data on the nutritional status of school-aged children in developing countries and countries in transition and identify issues of public health concern. A review of literature published from 2002 to 2009 on the nutritional status of children aged 6 to 12 years from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Eastern Mediterranean region was performed. Eligible studies determined the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies or child under- and overnutrition using biochemical markers and internationally accepted growth references. A total of 369 studies from 76 different countries were included. The available data indicate that the nutritional status of school-aged children in the reviewed regions is considerably inadequate. Underweight and thinness were most prominent in populations from South-East Asia and Africa, whereas in Latin America the prevalence of underweight or thinness was generally below 10%. More than half of the studies on anemia reported moderate (> 20%) or severe (> 40%) prevalence of anemia. Prevalences of 20% to 30% were commonly reported for deficiencies of iron, iodine, zinc, and vitamin A. The prevalence of overweight was highest in Latin American countries (20% to 35%). In Africa, Asia, and the Eastern Mediterranean, the prevalence of overweight was generally below 15%. The available data indicate that malnutrition is a public health issue in school-aged children in developing countries and countries in transition. However, the available data, especially data on micronutrient status, are limited. These findings emphasize the need for nutrition interventions in school-aged children and more high-quality research to assess nutritional status in this age group.

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Determinants of underweight, stunting and wasting among schoolchildren

Mekides Wolde, Yifru Berhan, Alemzewed Chala (2015)

Background The cause of under-nutrition in schoolchildren is complex and varying from region to region. However, identifying the cause is the basic step for nutritional intervention programs. Methods School based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 450 schoolchildren aged 7-14 years, using multi-stage sampling techniques in Dale Woreda, southern Ethiopia. A structured questionnaire and 24-hour recall methods were administered to determine the sociodemographic and dietary intake of participants. Stool microscopic examination was done. Weight and height were measured using a standard calibrated scale. Odds ratio generated from logistic regression was used to determine the strength of variables association. Results Older age group (10-14 vs. 7-9) (AOR = 3.4; 95% CI, 1.7-6.6) and having Trichuris Trichura infection (AOR = 3.9; 95% CI, 1.4 -11.6) increased the risk of being stunted. Children whose mothers have completed primary education are less likely to be stunted than children whose mothers do not have formal education (AOR = 0.3; 95% CI, 0.2-0.8). Having large family size (AOR = 3.3; 95% CI, 1.4-7.9) and inadequate intake of carbohydrate (AOR = 3.1; 95% CI, 1.4-6.8) were independent predictors of wasting. Children whose mothers completed primary education are less likely to be underweight (AOR = 0.3; 95% CI, 0.1-0.9). Children live in food insecure households are more likely to be stunted, under-weight and wasted than children live in food secure households (AOR = 2.5; 95%, 1-5.6; AOR = 3.9; 95% CI, 1.2-12.0; AOR = 4.8; 95% CI, 1.7-13.6;). Conclusion Household food insecurity, low maternal education and infection with Trichuris trichura were some of the major factors contributing to under-nutrition in the study area.

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Undernutrition and associated risk factors among school age children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Dawit Degarege, Abraham Degarege, Abebe Animut (2015)

Background Causes of child undernutrition are diverse and change in space and time. Investigating current determinants of undernutrition remains vital to design an effective intervention strategy. The study assessed prevalence of undernutrition and its associated factors among children living in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods A community based cross-sectional study was conducted in 459 school age children and their parents or caregivers living in Lideta sub-city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Participants were selected using a multi-stage simple random sampling technique. Height and weight of children was measured and their parents or care givers were interviewed for factors associated with undernutrition. Results About 31% (n = 141) of the children were undernourished (19.6% stunted, 15.9% underweight). Being male, higher birth order (>2), larger family size (6–8), low meal frequency (≤3 times) in a day prior to the survey and mud floor house were significantly associated with undernutrition. Similarly, the risk of underweight increased significantly with an increase in age, birth order, family size and also the absence of hand washing facilities. The odds of undernutrition was lower in children born to 20–30 years old mothers compared to those born to mothers younger than 20 years. Conclusions Undernutrition is prevalent among school age children living in Lideta sub city, Addis Ababa. Policy makers should consider school age children in their nutrition policy documents and implement screening program and intervention strategy.

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Author and article information

Contributors

Mastewal Zenebe: zenebemastewal@gmail.com

Samson Gebremedhin: samsongmgs@yahoo.com

Carol J. Henry: 306-966-5833 , cj.henry@usask.ca

Nigatu Regassa: negyon@yahoo.com

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Ital J Pediatr

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Ital J Pediatr

Title: Italian Journal of Pediatrics

Publisher: BioMed Central (London )

ISSN (Electronic): 1824-7288

Publication date (Electronic): 23 January 2018

Publication date PMC-release: 23 January 2018

Publication date Collection: 2018

Volume: 44

Electronic Location Identifier: 16

Affiliations

[1 ]ISNI 0000 0000 8953 2273, GRID grid.192268.6, School of Nutrition, Food Science and Technology, , Hawassa University, ; P.O. Box: 05, Hawassa, Ethiopia

[2 ]ISNI 0000 0000 8953 2273, GRID grid.192268.6, School of Public and Environmental Health, , Hawassa University, ; Hawassa, Ethiopia

[3 ]ISNI 0000 0001 2154 235X, GRID grid.25152.31, College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, 3302 Health Science E-wing, , University of Saskatchewan, ; 104 Clinic Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 2Z4 Canada

Article

Publisher ID: 449

DOI: 10.1186/s13052-018-0449-1

PMC ID: 5782386

PubMed ID: 29361948

SO-VID: d1b4f794-4ac4-48af-b90a-7302c4b222f0

License:

Open AccessThis article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.

History

Date received : 7 September 2017

Date accepted : 8 January 2018

Funding

Funded by: International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Global Affairs Canada, Government of Canada

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ScienceOpen disciplines: Pediatrics

Keywords: school feeding program,dietary diversity,nutritional status,southern ethiopia

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ScienceOpen disciplines: Pediatrics

Keywords: school feeding program, dietary diversity, nutritional status, southern ethiopia

School feeding program has resulted in improved dietary diversity, nutritional status and class attendance of school children

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Chinese Journal of School Health

Most cited references 13

The nutritional status of school-aged children: why should we care?

Determinants of underweight, stunting and wasting among schoolchildren

Undernutrition and associated risk factors among school age children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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