School-based nutrition programmes have been implemented in various regions to improve adolescent nutritional status. Rwanda's capital city has seen such initiatives aimed at addressing malnutrition among adolescents. The research employed a mixed-methods approach involving pre- and post-programme assessments using standardised questionnaires for dietary intake surveys among participating students. Focus group discussions were also conducted to gather qualitative insights. A notable increase of 15% in the proportion of adolescents meeting recommended daily nutrient intakes was observed, indicating positive changes in nutritional status following the programme implementation. The school-based nutrition programmes showed promising outcomes in improving adolescent nutritional status within the specified time frame. Further studies are warranted to explore long-term effects and scalability. Continued support for these programmes is recommended alongside research into their effectiveness across different socio-economic backgrounds.
Bizimana et al. (Sat,) studied this question.