Impact of School Meal Program on Child Nutrition and Academic Performance
1 other identifier
interventional
496
1 country
1
Brief Summary
This study will assess the impact of a school meal program on the nutritional status and academic performance of primary school children in Lahore, Pakistan. Children aged 6-11 years from selected government primary schools will participate in the study. Children in the intervention group will receive a balanced school meal during school hours for 12 weeks, providing approximately one-third of their daily energy requirement, while children in the control group will continue their usual dietary practices. The study will compare changes in children's nutritional status, including weight, height, body mass index, mid-upper arm circumference, and body composition, as well as school attendance and examination performance. The study will also examine whether nutritional status is related to academic performance.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable
Started Sep 2026
Shorter than P25 for not_applicable
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
Click on a node to explore related trials.
Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
August 25, 2026
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
September 1, 2026
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
September 2, 2026
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
November 1, 2026
ExpectedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
November 1, 2026
September 2, 2026
August 1, 2026
2 months
August 25, 2026
August 28, 2026
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (4)
Change in body weight (kg)
Change in body weight from baseline to 12 weeks among children participating in the school meal intervention compared with the control group. Body weight will be measured in kilograms using standardized anthropometric procedures.
Baseline to 12 weeks
Change in body mass index (BMI, kg/m²)
Change in body mass index from baseline to 12 weeks among children participating in the school meal intervention compared with the control group. BMI will be calculated from measured weight and height.
Baseline to 12 weeks
Change in mid-upper arm circumference
Baseline to 12 weeks
Change in Dietary Diversity Score (0-10)
Dietary diversity will be assessed based on the number of food groups consumed during the previous 24 hours. The score ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater dietary diversity. Scores of 0-3 indicate low dietary diversity, 4-5 indicate moderate dietary diversity, and \>5 indicate high dietary diversity. Change from baseline to post-intervention will be reported as the difference in dietary diversity score.
Baseline to 12 weeks
Secondary Outcomes (5)
Change in fat mass (kg)
Baseline to 12 weeks
Change in skeletal muscle mass (kg)
Baseline to 12 weeks
Change in school attendance rate (%)
Baseline to 12 weeks
Number of participants reporting acute illness episodes
During the 12-week intervention
Change in academic test score (%)
Baseline to 12 weeks
Study Arms (2)
School Meal Intervention Group
EXPERIMENTALChildren receiving the school meal program daily for 12 weeks in addition to their usual school routine
Control Group
NO INTERVENTIONChildren continuing their usual school routine without receiving the school meal program during the 12-week study period
Interventions
A daily school meal will be provided to primary school children for 12 weeks as part of a school meal program. The meal is designed to provide approximately one-third of the children's daily energy requirements and will be provided during the school day.
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Children aged 6-11 years (Grades 1-5).
- Children enrolled in the selected government primary schools.
- Children present on the day of data collection.
- Parental or guardian consent obtained.
You may not qualify if:
- Children with chronic illness affecting growth.
- Students absent during data collection.
- Refusal of consent by parents or guardians.
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Sites (1)
University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore
Lahore, Punjab Province, 54000, Pakistan
Related Publications (2)
Pramesthi IL, Wiradnyani LAA, Anggraini R, Februhartanty J, Widaryat W, Waluyo BH, Wahyunto AT, Mansyur M, Fahmida U. Evaluating the Impact of Indonesia's National School Feeding Program (ProGAS) on Children's Nutrition and Learning Environment: A Mixed-Methods Approach. Nutrients. 2025 Nov 15;17(22):3575. doi: 10.3390/nu17223575.
PMID: 41305624RESULTDestaw Z, Wencheko E, Kidane S, Endale M, Challa Y, Tiruneh M, Tamrat M, Samson H, Shaleka D, Ashenafi M. Impact of school meals on educational outcomes in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Public Health Nutr. 2022 Sep;25(9):2614-2624. doi: 10.1017/S1368980022000799. Epub 2022 Mar 28.
PMID: 35343425RESULT
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Central Study Contacts
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- NON RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- NONE
- Purpose
- PREVENTION
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Dr
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
August 25, 2026
First Posted
September 2, 2026
Study Start
September 1, 2026
Primary Completion (Estimated)
November 1, 2026
Study Completion (Estimated)
November 1, 2026
Last Updated
September 2, 2026
Record last verified: 2026-08
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will not share
Individual participant data will not be shared because the study involves data from children, and sharing individual-level data may pose privacy and confidentiality risks.