Assessment of the difference of school feeding programme on school participation among primary school children in Bishoftu Town, East Shoa Zone, Oromia Regional State
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Date
2014-07
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Addis Abeba Universty
Abstract
Introduction: Empirical studies reveal that school feeding programs have significant positive
impact on school participation. Such studies suggest school feeding programs are effective in
encouraging school enrollment, enhancing class attendances, and lowering student drop-outs.
To the contrary, few other studies reveal that there are no observable impacts of school feeding
program on school participation
Objective: Compare the difference in school participation; specifically on school enrollment,
class attendance and drop-out of students of school feeding program beneficiary and nonbeneficiary
children of primary school, in Bishoftu Town of East Shoa Zone, Oromia Regional
State, Ethiopia.
Methods: Community based comparative cross-sectional study was employed to compare the
difference in school participation of 428 respondents from school feeding program and 428
respondents from non school feeding program schools. Simple random sampling technique was
employed to identify the schools and study participants; household questionnaire, key
informant interviews and school record review were used to collect data. Collected quantitative
data were analyzed using mean, proportion, independent sample test and bivariate correlation
techniques. The study was carried out after getting permission from research and ethics
committee of School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University College of Health Science.
Results: Except enrollment (p=.001) the study found no significant positive effect of school
feeding program on two of school participation indicators (attendance and drop-out), although
it has some roles with regard to these objectives. The result also shows that the major factors
affecting school enrollment are availability of school, school factor, distance to school, the
availability of food incentives and safety concerns. Whereas, those affecting class attendance
and student drop-out were illness, domestic work (29.3% for SFP and 21.41% for non SFP
households), school hour hunger and distance to school. Besides, it has been determined that
even among beneficiary (p=0.001) households, the older the household head is the higher likely
that the children get enrolled. However, it is found that neither household head education nor
household income have significant effect on student drop-out in beneficiary households.
Conclusion: The study recommends that both the nutritional and economic values of school
feeding program should be improved in order to significantly enhance school participation.
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Assessment of the difference of school feeding programme