Counteracting Malnutrition Problem Via School-Based Feeding Program Management

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

School feeding programs are popular interventions designed to support the education of children living in poverty and food insecurity. School feeding programs can help get children into school and help keep them there, to improve children's health and prevent malnutrition causing absences in school, poor retention of lessons,diseases, and school drop-out rate. It is a common knowledge that a child cannot be the best he is capable of being unless he is in a state of a physical, mental and social being. Thus, the promotion and maintenance of the well-being of every child have become the primary objective of the school feeding program. This study aimed to determine the effect of the school-based feeding program management and program implementation to the nutritional status, academic performance and socio-emotional stability of the malnourished pupils in selected Elementary Schools in Santa Cruz District, School Year 2013-2014.

METHODS

The study used a combination of quantitative and qualitative data as a basis of interpretation and analysis. Survey questionnaires and checklists are tools used in the conduct of gathering information or data for the research.

RESULTS

The results show that frequency of feeding, food preparation, and safety, budget appropriation, planning and monitoring have "significant effect" to the nutritional status of the pupils while organizing and coordinating have "no significant" effect. Frequency of feeding, food preparation and safety, coordinating and monitoring have a significant effect on the academic performance of the pupils while budget appropriation, planning, and organizing have no significant effect. In the status of the school-based feeding program management, only the frequency of feeding has a significant effect on the socio-emotional stability of the pupils while food preparation, safety, and budget appropriation have no significant effect. In program implementation, planning and organizing have no significant effect to the socio-emotional stability of the pupils however coordinating and monitoring have a significant effect be highly implemented in all elementary schools as well as to maximize its usefulness to the pupils in terms of improving their health status.

DISCUSSIONS

Based on the findings, the school administrator is encouraged to enhance their gulayan sa paaralan and teach the pupils how to plant vegetables that can also be part of nutritious menu in the school-based feeding program. Regularly monitor the students' nutritional status, academic performance, and socio-emotional stability, and change the program such that focuses more on nutrition, performance and socio-emotional stability of the learners. In as much as the findings revealed, there is an increase in the nutritional status, academic performance and socio-emotional stability of the pupils, it is necessary that the school-based feeding program is sustained and improved.