Fule

Researchers are evaluating the impact of daily peanut paste-based milk-containing ready-to-use school food (PM-RUF) on school attendance, matriculation, and dropout rates among children aged 5 to 17 years in Ghana's Mion District. This study addresses challenges in school feeding programs in low- and middle-income countries, where local food production may not always provide adequate nutrition or consistent meal provision. The trial aims to compare PM-RUF with a common local porridge made from rice and millet flour to determine if the peanut-based food can improve educational outcomes and reduce dropouts. The trial is a cluster-randomized, controlled, investigator-blinded superiority study. Schools are assigned to either receive PM-RUF, an 80-gram peanut paste-based food containing skim milk powder, cowpea, peanuts, vegetable oil, and multiple micronutrients, or a standard 300ml porridge made from rice/millet flour. The PM-RUF is designed to provide 0.5 to 1 recommended dietary allowance of 14 micronutrients. The interventions are delivered daily as school meals. Participants' attendance will be monitored daily using fingerprint biometric scanning over a period of 11 to 30 months after enrollment. Researchers will measure attendance percentages to assess the impact of the feeding program. The study involves signed informed consent and requires participants to remain in the study area for the duration. Safety monitoring includes exclusion of children with food allergies or those needing immediate hospitalization.