Browsing by Author "Assefa, Alemnesh"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Nutritional Status of School Children in Addis Baba Involved in School Feeding Program: A Comparative Study
    (Addis Ababa University, 2015-06) Assefa, Alemnesh; Zewdu, Ashagrie (PhD); Urga, Kelbessa
    Nutritional status of children is an important component of primary health care. School age is a period of rapid growth in human development when nutritional demand is increased. In this descriptive cross sectional comparative study the nutritional status of children, dietary diversity status and food composition of the food given to the children who were involved in the feeding program were assessed from 10 different primary schools of Addis Ababa of which 280 students were recruited for the study. From the study results prevalence of wasting among the feeding group was found to be 7.1% and for the non-feeding it was 10%, 5.6% were underweight from the feeding group and 10.5% from the non feeding group. The prevalence of stunting for the feeding group was found to be 23.6% and for the non-feeding it was 16.5%. This study found that the dietary diversity score were influenced by educational status of the parents/caregivers (p-vale, 0.000). Children from the feeding group had better food diversity profile than those who were not involved in the program. Most of the school meals composition was not sufficient to meet the children's need though they need nutrient and energy dense foods. From the present study the prevalence of acute malnutrition was found to be low and chronic malnutrition was medium in terms of public health significance. The nutritional status of the school children involved in the feeding program was different from those who were not involved in the program even though the difference was not statistically significant. The food composition served for the children in the feeding program was analyzed and its protein content was adequate but it did not fulfill the daily requirement of most of the nutrients and energy requirement. School feeding program should be implemented along with the school curriculum for primary schools at the national level till citizens will able to insure individual-household food security. Key Words: nutritional status; anthropometry; school feeding, dietary diversity; food composition.