School Feeding Programs: What Happens Globally?

Cupertino, Alessandra Fabrino; Ginani, Verônica Cortez; Cupertino, Ana Paula; Botelho, Raquel Braz Assunção

doi:10.3390/ijerph19042265

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 30 publications

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“…8 Many countries, including Thailand, continue to beautifully tackle the malnutrition crisis by implementing effective interventions such as school lunch programs, cash transfers, special supplemental nutrition programs, proactive nutrition education and fortified foods. 3,9 In Thailand, the government has provided free lunch and a serving of milk every school day for primary school children since 1993 and malnutrition has improved over time. 10 Since 2013, Thai School Lunch, an online platform, has been released to ease school preparation of lunch menus.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Long-Term Supplementation of Eggs on Growth, Biochemical Indices, and Microbiota of Rural Thai Primary School Children

Suta

Surawit

Mongkolsucharitkul

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Summary Background Protein-energy malnutrition is still problematic worldwide. It directly impacts growth and development, especially in children. We investigated the long–term effects of egg supplementation on the growth, biochemical indices, and microbiota of primary school children. Methods A randomized controlled cluster study was carried out in six rural schools in Thailand. Participants were randomly assigned into three groups: 1) whole egg (WE) – consuming 10 additional eggs/week [n = 238], 2) protein substitute (PS) – consuming yolk–free egg substitute equivalent to 10 eggs/week [n = 200], and 3) control group (n= 197]). Demographic and biochemical indices, and microbiota composition were measured at weeks 0, 14, and 35. Findings 635 students (8 to 14 years old) were recruited (51·5% female). At baseline, 17% of the participants were underweight, 18% were stunted, and 13% were wasted. At week 35, compared to the control group, body weight and height increased significantly in WE (3·6 ± 23·5 kg, P<0·001 and 5·1 ± 23·2 cm, P<0·001). No significant differences in weight or height were observed between PS and Control. Prealbumin levels were higher (1·5 ± 8·4 mg/dL, P<0·001) in WE, but not in PS, compared to control. Significant decreases in total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol were observed in the WE, but not in the PS groups. HDL cholesterol tended to increase in WE (0·7 ± 25·2 mg/dL, ns). Neither the alpha nor beta diversity of the bacterial diversity was significantly different among all groups. After WE supplementation, the overall relative abundance of Bifidobacterium increased by 1·28-fold as compared to baseline and the differential abundance analysis also indicated that Lachnospira increased significantly and Varibaculum decreased. Interpretation Long-term whole egg supplementation is an effective, feasible and low-cost intervention to reduce protein-energy malnutrition, particularly in low-middle-income countries. Whole egg supplementation improves growth and nutritional biomarkers, and positively impacts gut microbiota without adverse effects on blood cholesterol levels. Funding Agricultural Research Development Agency (ARDA) of Thailand (PRP6105022310, PRP6505030460).

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Long-Term Supplementation of Eggs on Growth, Biochemical Indices, and Microbiota of Rural Thai Primary School Children

Suta

Surawit

Mongkolsucharitkul

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Acceptability of School Menus: A Systematic Review of Assessment Methods

Santana

Batista

Maynard

et al. 2023

IJERPH

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The school meal promotes healthy eating habits through nutritionally adequate preparations. Consequently, it prevents obesity and malnutrition, favoring learning. This systematic review aimed at investigating the methods for evaluating the acceptance of school menus offered by school feeding programs (SFPs) around the world. Specific search strategies were conducted on PubMed, Lilacs, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, Google Scholar, and ProQuest Global. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Meta-Analysis Statistical Assessment and Review Instrument. A total of 89 studies were included. The countries with the highest number of studies were Brazil (n = 42), South Korea (n = 13), and the United States (n = 12). The most used methods (69.66%) were numerical scales, with a higher prevalence for the 5-point scale (50.56%). Other methods included questionnaires and/or interviews with objective and/or subjective questions (44.94%); and mathematical formulas and/or visual estimates evaluating the consumption of food and leftovers (40.45%). The prevalent use of the 5-point hedonic scale may be due to its low cost, simplicity, ease of elaboration, application speed, and student understanding. Mathematical formulas and/or visual estimation were used by about 40% of the studies, but it is difficult to compare studies.

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Integrating Family Farming into School Feeding: A Systematic Review of Challenges and Potential Solutions

et al. 2023

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Family farming is strengthening its strategic role in school nutrition, but coordinating between school feeding programs and the agricultural sector has proven to be challenging. The goal of this review was to identify the problems that school feeding programs face in acquiring food from family farms. We selected studies from Web of Science, Medline/PubMed, and Scopus and evaluated their methodological quality. Out of 338 studies identified, 37 were considered relevant. We used PRISMA to guide the review process, and we chose not to limit the year or design of the study because it was important to include the largest amount of existing evidence on the topic. We summarized the main conclusions in six categories: local food production, marketing, and logistics channels, legislation, financial costs, communication and coordination, and quality of school menus. In general, the most critical problems emerge from the most fragile point, which is family farming, particularly in the production and support of food, and are influenced by the network of actors, markets, and governments involved. The main problems stem from the lack of investment in family farming and inefficient logistics, which can negatively impact the quality of school meals. Viable solutions include strategies that promote investment in agricultural policies and the organization of family farmers.

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School Feeding Programs: What Happens Globally?

Cited by 3 publications

References 30 publications

Effects of Long-Term Supplementation of Eggs on Growth, Biochemical Indices, and Microbiota of Rural Thai Primary School Children

Effects of Long-Term Supplementation of Eggs on Growth, Biochemical Indices, and Microbiota of Rural Thai Primary School Children

Acceptability of School Menus: A Systematic Review of Assessment Methods

Integrating Family Farming into School Feeding: A Systematic Review of Challenges and Potential Solutions

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