Evaluation Of Nutritional Status And Mid-Day Meal Programme Among School-Going Children

Abstract

School age is a critical period for growth, cognitive development, socialization and formation of lifelong dietary practices. Nutritional deficits during this stage may lead to thinness, stunting, micronutrient deficiency, reduced attention in class and lower school participation. The Mid-Day Meal Programme, now implemented as PM POSHAN in India, is one of the largest school-based nutrition interventions and aims to reduce classroom hunger while improving school participation and nutritional status. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used among 150 school going children from classes I to VIII. Data were collected through a socio-demographic questionnaire, anthropometric assessment, dietary assessment, mid-day meal utilization schedule and hygiene checklist. Anthropometric measurements were interpreted using standard age- and sex-appropriate indicators, including BMI-for-age and height-forage. The study found that 72.7% of children had normal BMI-for-age, while 16.0% were thin and 5.3% were severely thin. Regular mid-day meal consumption was reported by 68.0% of children. Regular consumers showed a higher proportion of normal nutritional status compared with irregular consumers. Most children reported satisfaction with taste, quantity and regularity of meals, although variation in menu diversity, hygiene monitoring and nutrition education emerged as areas requiring improvement.