School-Based Nutrition Programs for Adolescents in Dodoma, Tanzania: A Situation Analysis

Background: Tanzania has a double burden of malnutrition, including a high prevalence of undernutrition and an increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents. Schools present a valuable opportunity to reach a large section of the country’s adolescent population with nutrition-orie...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Food and nutrition bulletin 2021-09, Vol.42 (3), p.378-388
Main Authors: Rector, Colette, Afifa, Nadhira Nuraini, Gupta, Varun, Ismail, Abbas, Mosha, Dominic, Katalambula, Leonard K., Vuai, Said, Young, Tara, Hemler, Elena C., Wang, Dongqing, Fawzi, Wafaie W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Gardens
Humans
Nutritional Status
Sanitation
Schools
Tanzania - epidemiology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background: Tanzania has a double burden of malnutrition, including a high prevalence of undernutrition and an increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents. Schools present a valuable opportunity to reach a large section of the country’s adolescent population with nutrition-oriented interventions. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the current state of adolescent school nutrition interventions in Dodoma, Tanzania, with emphasis on 3 potential school-based nutrition interventions, school vegetable gardens, school meals, and education (on nutrition, agriculture, and water, sanitation, and hygiene). Methods: Focus group discussions were conducted with several regional and district-level governmental stakeholders, including health, education, and agricultural officers. Ten public secondary schools were visited, and interviews with school administrators, teachers, students, and parents were conducted. Results: All stakeholders interviewed supported interventions to improve school-based nutrition, including school gardens, school feeding, and nutrition education. All 10 schools visited had some experience providing school meals, but parents’ contributions were essential for the program’s sustainability. Most schools visited had land available for a school garden program, but water availability could be challenging during certain times of the year. The teachers interviewed expressed that the curriculum on nutrition education was highly theoretical and did not allow students to practice the knowledge and skills they learned in the classroom. Conclusions: The current school-based approach to tackling the double burden of adolescent malnutrition in Dodoma is localized and ad hoc. To leverage the potential of schools as a platform for nutrition interventions, integrated and policy-mandated interventions are needed.
ISSN:0379-5721
1564-8265
DOI:10.1177/03795721211020715