Adolescent growth in East African urban centers is influenced by various factors including nutrition. School-based programmes have been implemented to address malnutrition and promote better health outcomes among adolescents. This action research employed qualitative and quantitative methods including surveys, interviews, and observational data collection. The sample was recruited from schools across five East African cities. Nutrition programmes significantly improved adolescent growth rates by over 20% in urban centers, with notable improvements observed in protein and calcium intake among participants. The findings suggest that targeted nutrition interventions can effectively enhance the physical development of adolescents in urban settings. Future studies should focus on scaling up successful programmes and integrating them into existing health initiatives. Additionally, ongoing monitoring and evaluation are necessary to sustain positive impacts.
Anyanwi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.