A M Metwally1, Marwa M El-Sonbaty2,3, L A El Etreby1, E M Salah El-Din4, N Abdel Hamid5, H A Hussien5, A M Hassanin5, Z M Monir4. 1. Medical Research Division, Community Medicine Department, National Research Centre, (Affiliation ID: 60014618), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt. 2. Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Madinah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. elsonbatymostafa@yahoo.com. 3. Medical Research Division, Child Health Department, National Research Centre, (Affiliation ID: 60014618), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt. elsonbatymostafa@yahoo.com. 4. Medical Research Division, Child Health Department, National Research Centre, (Affiliation ID: 60014618), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt. 5. Agricultural Research Centre, Giza, Egypt.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:School feeding program (SFP) increases access to education and to better health. This study aims to evaluate the effects of SFP on physical growth, cognitive development, psychosocial behavior, and learning achievement of school children. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted. The intervention group included 903 pupils in the fifth grade receiving the school meal, while the control group included 886 pupils, matched for age and sex, without meal. The meal consisted of a pie made of flour fortified with vitamins A, B6, B12, C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, calcium, iron, zinc, and phosphorus. Socioeconomic position, nutritional status, and dietary behavior were evaluated. Neuropsychological tests were done. Psychosocial behavior was rated and educational achievement was recorded. Post hoc and independent sample t tests were used to detect the association of the studied parameters with the intake of school snack. RESULTS: Children who took the meal had better scores on visual memory, auditory vigilance tests (9.71 ± 2.80 vs. 7.45 ± 3.25; 25.02 ± 3.36 vs. 10.82 ± 8.92, respectively, P < 0.001), the afternoon attention and working memory test (8.20 ± 2.21vs. 7.75 ± 3.05) (P < 0.001), but less score of externalizing behavior (P < 0.001) than the control group. No significant changes of children's nutritional status were detected between the two groups. School meal was the main predictor of visual memory and auditory vigilance (P < 0.001), and was the strongest predictor of academic achievements when combined with family size and meals' frequency (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION:School meal improves academic achievements of school children.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: School feeding program (SFP) increases access to education and to better health. This study aims to evaluate the effects of SFP on physical growth, cognitive development, psychosocial behavior, and learning achievement of school children. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted. The intervention group included 903 pupils in the fifth grade receiving the school meal, while the control group included 886 pupils, matched for age and sex, without meal. The meal consisted of a pie made of flour fortified with vitamins A, B6, B12, C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, calcium, iron, zinc, and phosphorus. Socioeconomic position, nutritional status, and dietary behavior were evaluated. Neuropsychological tests were done. Psychosocial behavior was rated and educational achievement was recorded. Post hoc and independent sample t tests were used to detect the association of the studied parameters with the intake of school snack. RESULTS:Children who took the meal had better scores on visual memory, auditory vigilance tests (9.71 ± 2.80 vs. 7.45 ± 3.25; 25.02 ± 3.36 vs. 10.82 ± 8.92, respectively, P < 0.001), the afternoon attention and working memory test (8.20 ± 2.21vs. 7.75 ± 3.05) (P < 0.001), but less score of externalizing behavior (P < 0.001) than the control group. No significant changes of children's nutritional status were detected between the two groups. School meal was the main predictor of visual memory and auditory vigilance (P < 0.001), and was the strongest predictor of academic achievements when combined with family size and meals' frequency (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: School meal improves academic achievements of school children.
Entities:
Keywords:
Cognition; Growth; Performance; School feeding
Authors: Ammal M Metwally; Dalia M Elmosalami; Hazem Elhariri; Lobna A El Etreby; Ahmed Aboulghate; Marwa M El-Sonbaty; Amira Mohsen; Rehan M Saleh; Ghada A Abdel-Latif; Sahar Samy; Sherif E El Deeb; Asmaa M Fathy; Mohab M Salah; Mohamed A Abdel Mawla; Hanaa M Imam; Nihad A Ibrahim; Fatma A Shaaban; Reham Y Elamir; Mohamed Abdelrahman; Manal H El-Sayed Journal: PLoS One Date: 2021-02-23 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Ammal M Metwally; Ali M Abdallah; Ebtissam M Salah El-Din; Zeinab Khadr; Ehab R Abdel Raouf; Nahed A Elghareeb; Rehan M Saleh; Manal H Abuelela; Hala A Amer; Hasanin M Hasanin; Mohamed A Abdel Mawla; Sara F Sallam; Inas R El-Alameey; Samia M Sami; Ghada A Abdel-Latif; Mohamed Abdelrahman; Manal A Shehata Journal: Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health Date: 2022-08-05 Impact factor: 7.494