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A multi‐sectoral community development intervention has a positive impact on diet quality and growth in school‐age children in rural Nepal.
- Source :
- Maternal & Child Nutrition; Jul2024, Vol. 20 Issue 3, p1-16, 16p
- Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- Poor diet quality (diet diversity and animal‐source food [ASF] consumption) during childhood negatively affects growth, development, behaviour and physiologic function in later life. Relatively less is known about the impact of poor diet on the growth of school‐age children compared to children <5 years of age, especially in low/middle‐income countries. A better understanding of delivery strategies for effective interventions to improve diet and hence growth in school‐age children is needed. A 36‐month longitudinal controlled impact evaluation in rural Nepal assessed the nutrition and growth of children <5 years of age in families assigned via community clusters to full package intervention (community development, training in nutrition [during pregnancy and for children <5 years] and livestock husbandry), partial package (training only) or control (no inputs). Concurrent data were collected prospectively (baseline plus additional four rounds) on school‐age children (5–8 years at baseline) in these households; the present study analysed findings in the cohort of school‐age children seen at all five study visits (n = 341). Diet quality improved more in the full package school‐age children compared to those in partial package or control households. full package children consumed more ASF (β +0.40 [CI 0.07,0.73], p < 0.05), more diverse diets (β +0.93 [CI 0.55,1.31], p < 0.001) and had better head circumference z‐scores (β +0.21 [CI 0.07,0.35], p < 0.01) than control children. In conclusion, a multi‐sectoral community development intervention was associated with improvements in diet and growth of school‐age children in rural Nepal even though the intervention focused on the diet of children <5 years of age. The diet and growth of school‐age children can be favourably influenced by community‐level interventions, even indirectly. Key messages: Relatively less is known about the factors that influence diet quality and growth in school‐age children compared to younger children, especially in low‐ and middle‐income countries.Better diet quality and growth were found among school‐age children whose families participated in an impact study multi‐sectoral intervention compared to children in control families or those whose families only received nutrition training.Diet and growth of school‐age children can be favourably influenced by community‐level interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- FOOD quality
MIDDLE-income countries
SELF-efficacy
DATA analysis
T-test (Statistics)
RESEARCH funding
HUMAN growth
DESCRIPTIVE statistics
CHI-squared test
CHILD nutrition
AGE distribution
LONGITUDINAL method
CHILD development
RURAL population
STATISTICS
ANALYSIS of variance
RURAL conditions
ANTHROPOMETRY
COMPARATIVE studies
SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC factors
DATA analysis software
DIET
NUTRITION education
COMMUNITY-based social services
AGRICULTURE
LOW-income countries
CHILDREN
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 17408695
- Volume :
- 20
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Maternal & Child Nutrition
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 177819269
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13637