Nutritional status and associated factors among primary school students, in Meket Wereda, Ethiopia: comparing schools with feeding and non-feeding program

Abstract Background: Though undernutrition affects academic performance significant numbers of Ethiopian school children have undernutrition. To avert nutritional problems the government in collaboration with the world food program has implemented a school feeding program. However, data on the nutritional status of primary school students were scarce in the country. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the nutritional status of primary school students enrolled in schools with school feeding programs and in schools without school feeding programs and to identify associated factors in Meket Woreda.Methods: A school-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,091 students, from April 1-27/2015. The study participants were selected using a multi-stage stratified sampling method. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Data entry and analysis were done using SPSS version 20 software. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were done. Anthropometric data were analyzed using Anthro-plus software.Results: The prevalence of thinness was 37.5% among students in non school feeding program schools compared with 27.8 % among students in School feeding program schools. Though it wasn’t significant after adjusting for the potential confounders, the prevalence of stunting among students who took meals at school was higher (58.5%) compared with students who did not consume meals at school (48.3%). Students who did not take meal at school AOR=2.6, 95% CI: (1.8, 3.8), having uneducated mother AOR=5.3, 95% CI: (2.2, 12.6), being a male AOR=1.9, 95% CI: (1.4, 2.5), and taking meal once daily AOR=2.7, 95% CI: (1.6, 3.9) were positively associated with thinness. Conclusion: The prevalence of thinness was higher among students in schools did not implement school feeding programs compared to their counterparts. Thus, school meal program should be scaling up into schools in food insecure areas.