Lakhasly

This quasi-experimental study involved 385 child-mother pairs, divided into three intervention groups (n=287) and one non-intervention group (n=98). A minimum sample of 92 underweight (UW) children per group, from two school districts, was determined to detect a 20% difference in UW prevalence, with 90% power. To account for a 9% drop-out, 8 additional children were added per group, leading to a group size of 100. The total planned sample was 400 children, across four groups of 100 each. From 1,723 children screened, 385 were selected as eligible participants for baseline data collection and study inclusion. Intervention groups comprised: group 1 (feeding only, using DOST-FNRI recipes); group 2 (nutrition classes only, using DOST-FNRI modules); and group 3 (both feeding and nutrition classes). The non-intervention group (group 4) received existing DepEd feeding and nutrition classes. Study participants were enrolled in selected public elementary schools in Laguna, Philippines, specifically Bay and Calauan municipalities, due to their high wasting prevalence and large student populations. Trained project assistants monitored the intervention within the study areas.

The study used a quasi-experimental design with 385 child-mother pairs categorized into 3
interventions (n = 287) and one non-intervention (n = 98). A minimum sample size of 92 UW
children per group from 2 different school districts was set to detect a 20% difference in the
UW prevalence (based on 90% power). To allow for a 9% drop-out, an additional 8 children
were added per group, resulting in a group size of 100 children. Thus, the sample size was
a total of 400 children divided into 4 groups (100 per group). From a total of 1,723 children
screened, 385 were selected as eligible study participants for baseline data collection and inclusion in the study. The intervention groups were composed of: group 1-feeding only using
DOST-FNRI-developed recipes; group 2-nutrition classes only using DOST-FNRI-developed
modules; group 3-feeding and nutrition classes. The non-intervention group (group 4)
received the current DepEd feeding and nutrition classes. The children participating in the
study were enrolled in selected public elementary schools in Laguna, Philippines, specifically
in the municipalities of Bay and Calauan that had a high prevalence of wasting and a large
population of student enrollees. For monitoring of the intervention, trained project assistants
were involved in the study areas.