Abstract
This study assessed the impact of a school feeding program on the anthropometric indices of preschool children in Owerri West Local Government Area, of Imo State, Nigeria. A case-control study was conducted with 400 preschools (2-5 years) selected from 44 government-owned primary schools in the study location. Purposive sampling was used to identify the enrolled and non-enrolled schools, while simple random sampling was employed to select 200 preschool children from each category. Anthropometric measurements, including weight (kg) and height (m2), were obtained, and the WHO Anthro Software Analyzer was used to assess the wasting and underweight status of respondents. A student T-test was conducted to compare anthropometric indices and the nutrient composition of food samples between the two groups. The findings revealed a 50% improvement in underweight, and wasting among preschool children participating in the school lunch program over the 6-month study period, compared to the control group. It was found that 100% of preschool children in the intervention group met their recommended intakes for energy, protein, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C, but did not meet requirements for fat and calcium. Similarly, 75% of children in the control group met their recommended intakes for energy, protein, zinc, and vitamin A, but did not meet fat, calcium, iron, and vitamin C requirements. In conclusion, the school feeding program had a positive impact on the anthropometric indices of preschool children. We recommend extending the program to more schools to further improve the nutritional status of preschool children in Imo State.