Impact of Nutrition Education on Diet Quality of Home Packed School Lunches for Preschool Children Attending Kindergarten in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia, 2026

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how nutrition education affects the diet quality and food preferences of preschool children attending kindergarten schools in the Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. This study recognizes that early childhood dietary habits influence long-term health and productivity. It aims to address the low dietary diversity in the region through a structured educational approach using a cluster randomized controlled trial design. The intervention involves weekly nutrition education for parents delivered through printed leaflets in local languages and mobile messaging via Telegram. At the same time, children receive bi-weekly nutrition sessions led by trained health professionals following WHO recommendations. The study compares these education efforts against standard care across ten schools, divided into intervention and control groups, over a six-month period. Participants will be assessed at the start and end of the study for their diet quality using the Mean School-Lunch Dietary Diversity Score and for healthy dietary preferences. Data will be collected and analyzed to compare changes between groups. Parents and children will engage in nutrition education activities while researchers monitor dietary habits to evaluate the impact of the program.

Quality of Home Packed School Lunch Among Children Attending Kindergarten School in Jimma Zone, South West Ethiopia, 2026