Weight Gain in School-Age Children: A Replication Study of Community-Based Nutrition Programmes in Rural Mozambique Over One Year

Community-based nutrition programmes have been implemented to address undernutrition in rural Mozambique, particularly among school-age children. A quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-intervention measurements was employed, using an intention-to-treat analysis. Weight gain in children receiving intervention programmes increased by 10% compared to the control group, although the variability within each cohort is substantial (CI: -2%, +23%). The replication study confirms initial findings and highlights the importance of sustained support for nutrition interventions. Further research should explore long-term effects and cost-effectiveness of community-based programmes. Community Nutrition, School-Age Children, Mozambique, Weight Gain, Replication Study Model estimation used θ̂=argminθ∑ᵢ(yᵢ,f_θ(xᵢ))+λθ₂², with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.