Community-Based Nutrition Programmes for School-Age Children in Rural Mozambique: A Yearly Weight Gain Analysis

Community-based nutrition programmes (CBNPs) have been implemented in rural Mozambique to address malnutrition among school-age children. A scoping review was conducted using systematic search strategies in databases relevant to nutrition studies. Studies were included if they reported weight gain data from CBNPs implemented in rural Mozambique for at least one academic year. Weight gain results indicated an average increase of 0.5 kg per child over the study period, with significant variability among different interventions and geographical regions. While overall weight gains were observed, the heterogeneity in programme outcomes highlights the need for tailored strategies based on local contexts and specific needs. Further research should focus on evaluating the long-term impact of CBNPs and identifying cost-effective methods to sustain these programmes. Model estimation used θ̂=argminθ∑ᵢ(yᵢ,f_θ(xᵢ))+λθ₂², with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.