An intervention study conducted by the Department of Science and Technology–Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) under the Forging Public-Industry Society Alliance: PISO for Healthier Schoolchildren project showed that school lunch feeding and nutrition education intervention package can improve the knowledge, attitude, behaviour (KAB) scores, and the nutritional status among under underweight children aged seven to nine years old.
The results of the Project 4 of the PISO program, entitled “Assessing school-lunch feeding and nutrition education strategy for healthier kids” was presented by the DOST-FNRI during the PISO forum at the Dusit Hotel on Monday, Nov. 8.
The DOST-FNRI initiated the pilot intervention of school lunch feeding and nutrition education for 339 underweight children in Grades 2 to 4 in nine public elementary schools in Laguna, and nutrition education for their mothers or caregivers.
The intervention was implemented for 116 to 122 days during the School Year (SY) 2017-2018.
“The evaluation research conducted in nine public elementary schools in Bay and Calauan, Laguna demonstrated the effectiveness of the school lunch feeding and nutrition education intervention package in improving the KAB scores and nutritional status among seven- to 9-year old underweight children,” Nesrianne G. Buyco, science research specialist of the DOST-FNRI, said during the PISO forum.
“Schoolchildren experienced significant improvements in their weight-for-age z-score with higher attendance to feeding exposure to nutrition education,” she added.
The pilot-testing of the school-based intervention was assessed particularly on its impact on the nutritional status of schoolchildren and change in the behavior of mothers or caregivers.
The two interventions were school lunch feeding, and nutrition education sessions.
Under the project, the team provided meals from the FNRI-developed recipes following the Pinggang Pinoy®. They provided at least 320 kilocalories or 20 percent of the recommended energy and at least 9 grams or 30 percent of the recommended protein for children aged six to 9 years.
During the implementation of the program, the project team trained school teachers of children participants in using the FNRI-developed nutrition modules to facilitate the conduct of nutrition education sessions among children.
The mothers or caregivers of children participants attended nutrition classes which were conducted by the project team.
Nutrition modules covers five-key messages:
-Go, Grow and Glow + Water/Beverage in every plate (Pinggang Pinoy®);
-Eat fruits and vegetables of varied colors (the colorful plate);
-Consume various kinds of protein sources;
-Consume more nutrient-dense sources of energy; and
-Drink recommended glasses of water and complement it with nutritious beverages
Buyco said the study results showed that Children’s KAB scores in the intervention groups were shown to increase from baseline to endline.
On the proportion of children meeting adequate energy and protein intake, she said “overall, three to four out of 10 children meet their energy requirements at the end of the intervention.”
"On the other hand, almost all children (9 out 10) meet their estimated average protein requirement. The meals from school lunch contributed 23-26 percent and 25-27 percent of the recommended energy and protein requirements, respectively,” she said.
She noted that all study groups had an improvement in the nutritional status from baseline to endline.
“Significant improvements in weight-for-age z scores were observed for: a.feeding attendance — for every feeding day attended, a corresponding increase in WAZ by 0.001 is seen b. exposure to nutrition education — for every unit exposure to nutrition education, there is a corresponding increase in WAZ by 0.096 (~ .1),” Buyco said.
Among the project team’s recommendations are the following:
-The modules developed can serve as an education material for use by elementary school teachers in teaching nutrition, food, and health among school children in Grades 2-3;
-The Filipino food plate model – Pinggang Pinoy® – could be adopted as basis for dishes provided in an elementary school feeding program; and
-The advocacy for the institutionalization of the complete FNRI intervention which combines school feeding and nutrition education in public elementary school should be pursued.
School heads and teachers involved sought the continued implementation of the project during the feedback conference held in January 2019.
In his message, DOST Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña said it is important for the government to invest in schoolchildren.
"We must provide the needs of the children to prepare them for a better future. By ensuring good health and nutrition at this period of these children’s lives, will pave the way for healthier and productive adults in the future.”
He noted that in addition to the benefits of the intervention on the schoolchildren and their mothers or caregivers, the DOST-FNRI project highlighted the value of partnerships and cooperation among agencies, the community and private industry partners in achieving the common goal of contributing in the improvement of the nutritional situation of schoolchildren.
"May this forum be the start of a more strengthened PISO or Public Industry-Society Alliance projects and programs in the future. May it also ignite our intent to adopt the nutrition intervention that will redound to ensuring healthier and more productive Filipinos. We cannot do this alone, we need each other in achieving this,” de la Peña said.