ABSTRACT
This study was designed to determine the assessment of home grown school feeding programme and anthropometric status of the beneficiaries in Ezinihitte Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State. A sample size of 415 respondents were selected using multi stage sampling technique but 400 respondents were interviewed. A structured validated questionnaire was used to determine the parents socio-economic characteristics, dietary diversity score, effect of the programme on academic performance, effect of the programme on pupil’s enrolment and retention and anthropometric status of the beneficiaries (Height for age). World Health Organisation Anthroplus software was used to generate the height for age z-score (HAZ). Result on the height for Age Z-scores reviewed that majority of the respondents 80.8% were normal, 15% were mildly stunted. 3.0% were moderately stunted while 1.3% were severely stunted. These pupils were mostly in Primary 1,2, and 3. Results on the effect of the Home Grown School Feeding Programme on pupils enrolment reviewed that 4.34 to 4.59 mean value indicating that most of the respondent believed that the programme has a positive effect on the academic performance of the pupils. 4.39 indicated improvement on pupil’s performance in both curricular and extra-curricular activities, while 4.39 indicated increase in pupils concentration during teaching. The result on the dietary diversity score reviewed that 31.5% had low dietary diversity, 66.7% had medium dietary diversity score while 1.8% had high dietary diversity. This was reflected in the parents occupation and the level of education as reviewed that majority of their mothers 63.5% had attained secondary education followed by 26.3% who had attained primary education, 7% had no formal education while 3.3.% had attained tertiary education. In terms of parental occupation, it was observed that majority of their fathers 49% were traders, followed by 41% who were artisans, 4.5% were civil servants, 1.8% were unemployed while 3.6% were farmers, majority of their mothers 47.5% were traders, followed by 30.3% were artisan, 5.3% were civil servants, 7.3% were unemployed while 9.3% were farmer. The result on the effect of the programme on pupils enrolment and retention reviewed that 4.54 to 4.90 mean value indicated that most respondents agreed to a high extent that the programme has positive effect on pupil’s enrolment and retention as the study witnessed that provision of meals encouraged punctuality in schools (4.90). It is also revealed that percentage of children whose anthropometric status is normal is high. The study recommends that Government providing stable funding and budgeting, an institutional arrangement for implementation, monitoring and accountability etc.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Cover Page
Title page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
Table of contents v
List of Tables viii
Abstract ix
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Statement of the
Problem 4
1.2 Objectives of the study 5
1.3 Significance of the
study 6
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 The Concept and Origin
of School Feeding Program 7
2.1.1 The content and
administration of school feeding program in Imo state,
Nigeria 9
2.2 How
Home Grown School Feeding Contributes To Social Protection 11
2.2.1 Provision 14
2.2.2 Prevention 15
2.2.3 Promotion 16
2.2.4 Transformation 17
2.3 Studies That Been Done
To Improve Nutritional Status of School Children
Through School Feeding
Programmes 18
2.3.1 Emergency School Feeding
(ESF) 19
2.3.2 Purchase from Africans
for Africa (PAA Africa) program in Malawi 21
2.3.2.1 Sustainable agriculture
intensification: 22
2.3.2.2 Nutrition-sensitive
agricultural diversification: 22
2.3.3 Home Grown School
Feeding (HGSF) a win-win in Ghana 23
2.3.3.1 Education 24
2.3.3.2 Health and nutrition 25
2.3.4 The Brazilian National
School Feeding Program (PNAE) 26
2.3.5 Diversifying school
feeding and institutional food procurement in Brazil 28
2.4 Effects
Of Home-Grown School Feeding Programme 31
2.3.1 The Effect of School Feeding Programme on
School Enrolment and
Retention 32
2.3.2 The Effects of School
Feeding Programme on Pupils Academic
Performance. 36
CHAPTER 3: MATERIALS AND METHODS
3.1 Study Design 31
3.2 Area Of Study 38
3.3 Population Of Study 38
3.4 Sampling And Sampling
Technique 39
3.4.1 Sample size calculation 39
3.4.2 Sampling procedure 40
3.5 Preliminary Activities 41
3.5.1 Preliminary visit 41
3.5.2 Training of research
assistants 42
3.5.3 Ethical approval 42
3.5.4 Informed consents 42
3.6 Data Collection 42
3.6.1 Questionnaire Administration
42
3.6.2 Interview 43
3.6.3 Anthropometric
measurements 44
3.6.3.1 Weight 44
3.6.3.2 Height 44
3.6.4 Dietary Measurements 44
3.7 Data Analysis 45
3.8 Statistical Analysis 45
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
4.1 Socio-economic Status of the Pupils 46
4.2 Enrolment of Pupils in Home
Grown School Feeding Programme 49
4.2.1 Effect of Home Grown School Feeding Programme on Pupil’s
Enrolment
and Retention 51
4.3 Anthropometric Status of Pupils
in Selected Home Grown School
Feeding Programme 53
4.4 Effect of Home Grown School Feeding Programme on Academic
Performance 55
4.5 Assessment of Home Grown School Feeding Programme 57
4.6 Assessment of Dietary Diversity Score of Children 59
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Conclusion 61
5.2 Recommendations 62
REFERENCE 64
LIST
OF TABLES
Table 4.1 Socio-economic
status of the pupil (n=400) 46
Table 4.2 Effect of home grown
school feeding programme on pupil’s
Enrolment And retention 52
Table 4.3 Anthropometric
status of pupils in selected home grown school
feeding
Programme 53
Table 4.4 Attitude
of School management on how Home Grown School Feeding
Programme
affects the Academic Performance of the
Pupils. 55
Table 4.5 Assessment
of home grown school feeding programme 57
Table 4.6 Assessment
of dietary Diversity Score of children 59
CHAPTER
1
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF STUDY
The
burdens of hunger,
malnutrition and ill-health
on school-age pupils
are major constraints in
achieving the education
for all and
the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) on education
(Bundy, 2011). Poor
nutrition and health
among schoolchildren
contributes to the inefficiency of
the educational system
(Pollit,1990). Children with diminished cognitive
abilities naturally perform
less well and
are more likely
to repeat grades and
to drop out
of school; they
also enroll in
school at a later age,
if at all,
and finish fewer years
of schooling (Jukes et
al.,,2008). The irregular
school attendance of malnourished and
unhealthy children is one of
the key factors
in poor performance.
Even short-term hunger, common
in children who
are not fed
before going to
school, can have
an adverse effect on
learning (Pollitt et al.,, 1998). Children
who are hungry
have more difficulty concentrating
and performing complex
tasks (Grantham-McGregor et al., 1998). In
2006, monitoring data
from the World
Food Programme (WFP)
school feeding programmes showed
that in newly-assisted schools
63 percent of
pupils on average do
not have any
food before going
to school (WFP,
2007). Every day, countless
children across the globe turn up for school on an empty stomach, which makes
it hard to focus on lessons. Many simply do not go, as their families need them
to help in the fields or around the house (WFP, 2018). For all of them, having
food at school every day can mean not only better nutrition and health, but
also increased access to and achievement in education. It is also a strong
incentive to consistently send children to school. In 2018, 16.4 million school
children benefitted from nutritious WFP meals and snacks(WFP, 2018). It also
built the capacities of 65 governments, which led to improved national school
feeding programmes for another 39 million children.
Improving
child nutrition is critical to human development and to the realization of
human rights, as stated by the Second International Conference on Nutrition
(ICN2), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Zero Hunger Challenge,
and the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition 2016-2025. While there has typically
been a focus on health and nutrition in the first 1,000 days, from pregnancy to a child’s second
birthday, the first two decades of life
contain critical phases
of development and rapid growth,
such as the pubertal growth period, during which nutrient requirements increase
(Victoria 2010; Das et al.,, 2017).
According to the latest edition of
Disease Control Priorities,
the 7,000 days
after a child’s second birthday present continued
opportunities to help children reach their developmental potential (Bundy 2017;
Prentice et al.,, 2013).
The recent
food, fuel and
financial crises have
highlighted the importance
of school feeding programmes
both as a
social safety net
for children living
in poverty and
food insecurity, and as
part of national
educational policies and
plans. Recent joint
analyses developed by the
World Bank, WFP
and the Partnership
for Child Development
(PCD) identified that every
country (for which
data was available)
is in some
way and at
some scale seeking to
provide food to
its schoolchildren (Bundy
et
al., 2009, WFP
2013). Countries with the
greatest needs in
terms of education,
poverty and food
insecurity, are those
where the school feeding
programs are currently
least adequate (Bundy et al.,
2009, WFP 2013).
School feeding is
a complex intervention and
designing effective programs
requires an evidence
base that allows
careful trade-offs among targeting
approaches, feeding modalities,
and costs. The
near universality of school
feeding, and the
inadequacy of programs
in low-income settings,
suggest an important opportunity for
development partners to
assist governments in
improving the implementation of school
feeding as part
of social protection
programmes. Calls have
been made to
leverage opportunities to scale-up
nutrition sensitive interventions
(Ruel et al., 2013).
In particular, Rethinking School
Feeding identified the
need for the
development of new
technical guidance and knowledge
management tools to
support the design
of school feeding
programs (WFP, 2013). Existing tools
to assist the
design of school
feeding programs require
updating in light
of new findings and
knowledge on the
topic.
1.1 Statement of the Problem
Proponents of
home grown school feeding program claim
that providing food
in schools would
ostensibly create jobs and
improve family and state economy, improve child nutrition and health, reduce
hunger, improves their attendance
and minimizes drop-outs and increase local agricultural
productions. According to the
United Nations World
Food Program, School
Feeding Program is
an incentive for
vulnerable families to invest
in children’s education
and encourages poor
households to send
children to school and
helps to keep
them there (WFP, 2008).
Empirical studies also
reveal that School Feeding Programs
indeed have significant
positive impact on
school participation. Such
studies suggest HGSF are effective
in encouraging school
enrollment, enhancing class
attendances, and lowering student
drop-outs ( Ahmed 2004;
WFP 2009). To
the contrary, few other
studies reveal there
is no observable
impacts of School
Feeding Program on
school participation (He, 2009).
This study, therefore,
takes account of
these arguments and evaluates
the significance of home
grown school Feeding Program
in improving school
participation among primary
school children and assessment of foods given to the beneficiaries.
1.2 Objectives of the study
General objective:
To
determine the assessment of home-grown school feeding programme and the
anthropometric status of the beneficiaries in selected primary schools in
Mbaise.
Specific objectives:
1. To
assess the Socioeconomic status of the respondent.
2. To
assess the enrolment of retention of pupils in Home Grown School Feeding
Programme in selected schools in Mbaise.
3. To assess the anthropometric status of pupils
in the selected home grown school feeding programme in schools in Mbaise.
4. To
assess the Home Grown School Feeding Programme
5. To
access the effect of the Home Grown School Feeding Programme on Academic
performance.
6. To
access the dietary diversity score of the pupils in the selected Home Grown
School Feeding Programme
1.3 Significance of the study
They
sought to generate useful information that may be of great value to
nutritionist, education policy makers, health officials, early childhood
development and education (ECDE) teachers and parents at all levels. It is
expected to contribute towards enhancement of feeding programmes for children.
The research may also assist the government in standardizing the feeding programmes in schools and also, in diversifying the
school feeding program thereby ensuring
healthier diets and tackling nutritional deficiencies and other malnutrition
problems.
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