Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Dodoma, Dodoma, Tanzania.
BMJ Open. 2022 Jul 7;12(7):e062085. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062085.
Secondary schools have the transformative potential to advance adolescent nutrition and provide a unique entry point for nutrition interventions to reach adolescents and their families and communities. Integrated school nutrition interventions offer promising pathways towards improving adolescent nutrition status, food security and building sustainable skill sets.
The Meals, Education, and Gardens for In-School Adolescents (MEGA) project aims to implement and evaluate an integrated, school-based nutrition intervention package among secondary schools in the Chamwino District of Dodoma, Tanzania. MEGA is a cluster-randomised controlled trial, including six public secondary schools assigned to three different arms. Two schools will receive the full intervention package, including school meals, school gardens, nutrition education and community workshops. Two schools will receive the partial intervention package, including the school garden, nutrition education and community workshops. Two schools will serve as the controls and will not receive any intervention. The intervention will be implemented for one academic year. Baseline and end-line quantitative data collection will include 750 adolescents and 750 parents. The domains of outcomes for adolescents will include haemoglobin concentrations, anthropometry, educational outcomes and knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding nutrition, agriculture and health. The domains of outcomes for parents will include knowledge, attitudes and practices of nutrition, agriculture and health. End-line focus group discussions will be conducted among selected adolescents, parents and teachers to assess the facilitators and barriers associated with the intervention.
This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (approval number: IRB20-1623), the Institutional Research Review Committee at the University of Dodoma (approval number: MA.84/261/02) and the Tanzania National Institute for Medical Research (approval number: NIMR/HO/R.8a/Vol. IX/3801). A manuscript with the research findings will be developed for publication. Local dissemination meetings will be held with key stakeholders.
NCT04788303.; ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier.
中学具有变革潜力，可以促进青少年营养，并为营养干预措施提供一个独特的切入点，以接触青少年及其家庭和社区。综合学校营养干预措施为改善青少年营养状况、粮食安全和建立可持续技能提供了有希望的途径。
“学校青少年膳食、教育与园艺（MEGA）”项目旨在坦桑尼亚多多马省尚温诺区的六所公立中学实施和评估一个综合的、基于学校的营养干预方案。MEGA 是一项集群随机对照试验，包括分配到三个不同组别的六所中学。两所学校将接受完整的干预方案，包括学校膳食、学校花园、营养教育和社区研讨会。两所学校将接受部分干预方案，包括学校花园、营养教育和社区研讨会。两所学校将作为对照组，不接受任何干预。干预将实施一个学年。基线和期末的定量数据收集将包括 750 名青少年和 750 名家长。青少年的结果领域包括血红蛋白浓度、人体测量、教育成果以及营养、农业和健康方面的知识、态度和实践。家长的结果领域包括营养、农业和健康方面的知识、态度和实践。期末将进行焦点小组讨论，以评估与干预相关的促进因素和障碍，讨论对象包括选定的青少年、家长和教师。
这项研究得到了哈佛陈曾熙公共卫生学院机构审查委员会（批准号：IRB20-1623）、多多马大学机构研究审查委员会（批准号：MA.84/261/02）和坦桑尼亚国家医学研究所（批准号：NIMR/HO/R.8a/Vol. IX/3801）的批准。将编写一份研究结果的手稿以供发表。将与主要利益攸关方举行地方传播会议。
NCT04788303；临床试验注册网站标识符。
