Evaluation of School Feeding Program for Malnourished Children in Isiolo Central: Kenya
Keywords:
Mid-upper arm circumference, Malnourishment, Body Mass Index, Isiolo County, School Feeding Program, KenyaAbstract
Background: In Kenya, more than a quarter of children under the age of five, or two million children, have malnutrition, which commonly presents in the form of stunting, the most frequent form of under-nutrition among young children, and the school feeding programs have been providing meals comprising rice and beans or a maize meal with beans. From these programs, it has been noted that there is an increase in school enrollment due to the meals provided in schools. From the nutritional reviews done, it has been found that malnutrition levels in Isiolo (16.7%) are pretty high compared to the country at 4.1%. Material and Methods: The study was conducted among 190 primary school pupils selected from 17 different public primary schools and 17 teachers within the Isiolo Central District through a simple random sampling method, and a semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. For children selected for the study, consent was requested from the guardian before being included. ANOVA was used to compare baselines BMI, MUAC, and post BMI, MUAC after six months of intervention with fortified composite flour. Results: The mean age of the children in years was 11.23 ± 1.44, with gender having male 55.3% and female 44.7%. 52.1% of the households had more than six members, 45.8% had 4-6, and 2.1% had 3. Income, casual labor had 30%, animal rearing 11.1%, farming 25.8%, and self-employment 20.5%, respectively. In nutritional status, 45.8% were underweight, 24.2% overweight, 17.4% normal, and 12.6% were obese. After six months of follow-up, the percentage of underweight respondents was 11.6%, which declined by 34.2%, the average level increased to 66.8%, and the obese percentage decreased by 4.7%. Conclusion: The study concluded that by having a school feeding program, there is a significant decrease in underweight children with an increase in healthy school-going ones.
References
[1] 2022 Demographic and Health Survey Kenya Summary Report. (n.d.). www.DHSprogram.com.
[2] Abitew, D. B., Worku, A., Mulugeta, A., & Bazzano, A. N. (2020). Rural children remain more at risk of acute malnutrition following exit from community-based management of acute malnutrition program in South Gondar Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia: A comparative cross-sectional study. PeerJ, 2020(2). https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8419
[3] Adelman, S., & Gilligan, D. (2008). How effective are food for education programs?: A critical assessment of the evidence from developing countries. https://doi.org/10.2499/0896295095FPREV9
[4] Das, A., Saimala, G., Reddy, N., Mishra, P., Giri, R., Kumar, A., Raj, A., Kumar, G., Chaturvedi, S., Babu, S., Srikantiah, S., & Mahapatra, T. (2020). Mid-upper arm circumference as a substitute of the body mass index for assessment of nutritional status among adult and adolescent females: learning from an impoverished Indian state. Public Health, 179, 68–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2019.09.010
[5] Etana, D., & Tolossa, D. (2017). Unemployment and Food Insecurity in Urban Ethiopia. African Development Review, 29(1), 56–68. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8268.12238
[6] Jacqueline Wairimu, M. (2018). FEEDING PRACTICES AND NUTRITION STATUS AMONG CHILDREN AGED 6-23 MONTHS FOLLOWING DISCHARGE FROM SUPPLEMENTARY FEEDING PROGRAM IN ISIOLO COUNTY, KENYA.
[7] Kenya: Nutrition Profile. (n.d.).
[8] Kiilu, R. M. (2019). Status of school feeding program policy initiatives in Machakos County, Kenya primary schools. African Educational Research Journal, 7(1), 33–39. https://doi.org/10.30918/AERJ.71.18.107
[9] Kwena, A., & Baliddawa, J. (2012). Nutritional status of children aged 6 to 59 months in western Kenya's community-based education and service centers (COBES). African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 12(51), 6229–6244. https://doi.org/10.18697/ajfand.51.10665
[10] Maralani, V., & McKee, D. (2017). Obesity is in the eye of the beholder: BMI and socioeconomic outcomes across cohorts. Sociological Science, 4, 288–317. https://doi.org/10.15195/v4.a13
[11] Mwanthi, M. M., Wafula, C. M., & Mbugua, J. M. (2023). Regular Provision of Meals during Schools Days and Learner Participation in Public Primary Schools in Makueni County, Kenya. Higher Education Studies, 13(3), 117. https://doi.org/10.5539/hes.v13n3p117
[12] National Bureau of Statistics Nairobi, K. (2023). Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022 Key Indicators Report. www.DHSprogram.com.
[13] Nwoke, C. E. (2022). Socio-Cultural Perception, Attitude and Behavior That Affects Malnutrition Incidence among Children in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. Food and Nutrition Sciences, 13(06), 577–599. https://doi.org/10.4236/fns.2022.136044
[14] Olarte, D. A. (2021). Feeding the Minds of Children: Teachers’ Role in School Lunch A Qualitative Study.
[15] Paulitsch, R. G., & Dumith, S. C. (2021). Is food environment associated with body mass index, overweight, and obesity? A study with adults and elderly subjects from southern Brazil. Preventive Medicine Reports, 21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101313
[16] School feeding Programmes in Kenya. (2011).
[17] Shree, A., & Narayana Murthy, M. R. (2021). Impact of malnutrition on scholastic performance among school children in Mysuru. Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health, p. 11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cegh.2021.100780
[18] WFP KENYA | Country Strategic Plan School Meals Programme in Kenya Quick Facts. (2018).
[19] Wright, D. (2019). Nutrition and Hospital Mortality, Morbidity and Health Outcomes. In Strategies to Reduce Hospital Mortality in Lower and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) and Resource-Limited Settings. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.84282
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Oscar Makokha, Dr. Sophia Ngala, Dr. Angela Andago
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Creative Commons License All articles published in Annals of Medicine and Medical Sciences are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
