» Articles » PMID: 37304846

Design, Methods, and Select Baseline Results from a School Nutrition Project for Adolescents in Bangladesh

Overview
Journal Curr Dev Nutr
Date 2023 Jun 12
PMID 37304846
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Background: The School Nutrition for Adolescents Project (SNAP) provided weekly iron and folic acid (WIFA) supplementation and menstrual hygiene management (MHM) support for girls; actions to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices; and behavior change interventions to adolescents aged 10-19 y in 65 intervention schools in 2 districts of Bangladesh.

Objectives: We aimed to describe the project design and select baseline results of students and school project implementers.

Methods: Girls (n = 2244) and boys (n = 773) in 74 schools (clusters) and project implementers [headteachers (n = 74), teachers (n = 96), and student leaders (n = 91)] participated in a survey assessing nutrition, MHM, and WASH knowledge and experience. Hemoglobin, inflammation-adjusted ferritin, retinol-binding protein, and serum and RBC folate (RBCF) levels in girls were measured. School WASH infrastructure was observed and drinking water was tested for .

Results: IFA and deworming tablet intake in the last 1 and 6 mo were 4% and 81% for girls and 1% and 86%, respectively. Applying the Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) tool, most (63%-68%) girls and boys achieved minimum dietary diversity. Fewer adolescents (14%-52%) had ever heard of anemia, IFA tablets, or worm infestation than project implementers (47%-100%). Girls (35%) missed school during menstruation; 39% reported of ever leaving school due to unexpected menstruation. The micronutrient status and deficiency severity varied: anemia (25%), RBCF insufficiency (76%), risk of serum folate deficiency (10%), deficiencies of iron (9%), and vitamin A (3%). WASH in school sustainable development goal (SDG) indicators achievement varied: basic drinking water service (70%), basic sanitation service (42%), and basic hygiene service (3%); 59% of sampled drinking water access points complied with WHO standards.

Conclusions: There is room for improvement of nutrition and health awareness, practices, micronutrient status, SDG basic WASH in-school services, and contamination in school drinking water.This trial was registered in clinicaltrials.gov as NCT05455073.

References
1.
Engle-Stone R, Kumordzie S, Meinzen-Dick L, Vosti S . Replacing iron-folic acid with multiple micronutrient supplements among pregnant women in Bangladesh and Burkina Faso: costs, impacts, and cost-effectiveness. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2019; 1444(1):35-51. PMC: 6771790. DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14132. View

2.
Tolentino K, Friedman J . An update on anemia in less developed countries. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2007; 77(1):44-51. View

3.
Chan Y, Bailey R, OConnor D . Folate. Adv Nutr. 2013; 4(1):123-5. PMC: 3648733. DOI: 10.3945/an.112.003392. View

4.
Sachdeva R, Mann S . Impact of nutrition counselling and supplements on the mineral nutriture of rural pregnant women and their neonates. Indian Pediatr. 1994; 31(6):643-9. View

5.
Neufeld L, Larson L, Kurpad A, Mburu S, Martorell R, Brown K . Hemoglobin concentration and anemia diagnosis in venous and capillary blood: biological basis and policy implications. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2019; 1450(1):172-189. PMC: 7496102. DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14139. View