Assessment of preschool preparedness intervention package on adoption of nutrition friendly school initiative in rural Sindh, Pakistan: a pre-and post-intervention design

• Published in: Frontiers in nutrition (Lausanne) 2024-08, Vol.11, p.1395883
• Main Authors: Samnani, Amir Ali, Nuruddin, Rozina, Petrucka, Pammla, Soofi, Sajid B, Karmaliani, Rozina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: early child development; malnutrition; Nutrition; nutrition friendly school initiative; nutrition interventions; preschool children; school community
• ISSN: 2296-861X; 2296-861X
• DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1395883

In 1995, the World Health Organization launched its Global School Health Initiative intending to expand this health promotion approach throughout schools globally. In this study, we aim to assess the preparedness of preschools in the adoption of intervention packages under the Nutrition Friendly School Initiative (NFSI) checklist. From three campuses of the Aga Khan School located in the Thatta and Sujawal districts of the Sindh province, Pakistan, all eligible preschool children were selected for this study. Using a pre-and post-intervention design, we assessed preschool preparedness using the NFSI checklist, knowledge of parents/caregivers regarding health and nutrition promoting behaviors, and anthropometric measurements (i.e., mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), weight, and height) for preschool children. The NFSI checklist was analyzed with differential scores, while descriptive statistics were used for anthropometric and knowledge data. Continuous variables (i.e., height, weight, MUAC) were presented as means, while categorical variables (knowledge) were expressed as numbers and percentages. Paired t-tests for dependent samples were used to statistically assess mean differences in MUAC, height, weight, height-for-age Z-score, weight-for-age Z-score, weight-for-height Z-score, and changes in parental knowledge of preschool children. Data from 164 preschool children (ages 24-84 months, mean age 56.7 months) were analyzed over 3 months. School preparedness scores improved from 10 to 22 points (out of 26). Parental knowledge on nutrition and health increased by 7.2 points (out of 25). Children showed mean increases in MUAC (0.27 cm), weight (0.36 kg), and height (0.62 cm) (