School lunch programmes are known to improve nutritional status among elementary students globally. However, there is limited evidence specific to Northern Ghana. A comparative study design was employed, with data collected from two randomly selected schools—one participating in the school lunch programme and one serving as a control. Height-for-age z-scores were used to assess nutritional status changes over time. Height-for-age z-score improvements of up to 10% were observed among students in the intervention group compared to controls, indicating a positive impact on nutritional status. The school lunch programme was found to significantly enhance the nutritional status of elementary students in Northern Ghana, with notable improvements observable within six months. Further studies should be conducted to explore longer-term effects and potential cost-effectiveness analyses. Implementation strategies for sustainable programmes should also be developed. School Lunch Programmes, Nutritional Status, Elementary Students, Height-for-Age Z-scores, Northern Ghana
Agyeiwa et al. (2010) studied this question.