preprint · medRxiv
Undernutrition remains a critical issue for school-aged children in Tanzania, where high rates of thinness and anaemia threaten developmental outcomes and increase the risk of non-communicable diseases. An evaluation of school feeding programmes across ten primary schools in Kisarawe District examined programme delivery and its effects on children aged 10 to 14 years. While all surveyed schools had implemented aspects of the initiative, coverage reached only 65 percent of students, and none adhered fully to national guidelines due to infrastructural and logistical constraints. Overall, 49 percent of pupils attained minimum dietary diversity, and only 15.3 percent consumed at least three meals daily. Enrolment in the feeding scheme was linked to a 45 percent higher likelihood of achieving adequate meal diversity, although this did not reach conventional statistical significance. Addressing infrastructure gaps and food supplies is vital for programme success.
Proper nutrition during primary school years is vital for childhood development, learning capacity, and the prevention of long-term health problems. This assessment reveals that even when school feeding programmes are established, logistical and infrastructural bottlenecks can hinder coverage and compliance. Identifying these operational shortcomings helps policymakers and education authorities design more dependable interventions to tackle youth undernutrition.
The findings inform public sector administrators, non-governmental organisations, and institutional food catering providers about delivery bottlenecks in rural education systems. Applied in an active field context, the research highlights opportunities for supply chain managers and food logistics enterprises to provide reliable food procurement, storage, and preparation solutions for schools, though the abstract itself does not outline a specific commercial product or route to market.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Abstract The school-age period is crucial nutritional-wise owing to its health and developmental impact. In Tanzania, 11% of school-aged children are thin, while 34% are anemic, representing a significant burden of undernutrition with a potential to have a lasting impact on educational and early onset of non-communicable diseases. This study was designed to evaluate its implementation and effects on nutritional adequacy among primary-school children in Kisarawe District, Tanzania. A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 students aged 10-14 years from 10 primary schools from March to May 2025. Nutritional adequacy was assessed using two measures: Dietary diversity and Meal frequency. Descriptive statistics was used to summarize the status of implementation of the school feeding program, while regression analysis was used to identify the effect of the intervention. All ten schools implemented some components of the school feeding program with a significant limitation. Only 65% students were covered in the intervention. Forty-nine percent of students met the minimum dietary diversity score. Participation in a school feeding program was associated with a 45% higher likelihood of attaining minimum meal diversity (APR = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.00-2.12; p = 0.051), although this did not reach statistical significance threshold. Only 15.3% students reported consuming the minimum of three meals per day. School feeding programs were present in Kisarawe district but faced major infrastructural and logistical challenges, with none of the schools fully adhering to national guidelines. Strengthening infrastructure, ensuring reliable food supply, and expanding universal coverage are essential to maximize program impact.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1101/2025.09.24.25335558
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
