Evaluation of a school feeding programme linked to agriculture production in Mali
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN76705891 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN76705891 |
| Protocol serial number | N/A |
| Sponsor | Imperial College London (UK) |
| Funder | Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation |
- Submission date
- 14/05/2012
- Registration date
- 12/07/2012
- Last edited
- 19/05/2015
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Providing food through schools has well documented benefits in terms of the education, health and nutrition of school children. However, there is limited evidence regarding the benefits of sourcing the food from small-holder farmers through ‘home-grown’ school feeding approaches. This study aims to evaluate the impact of school feeding programmes sourced from small-holder farmers on small-holder food security, as well as on school children’s education, health and nutrition in Mali.
Who can participate?
Primary school age children and small-holder farmer households in targeted villages in Mali.
What does the study involve?
Households and schools will be randomly assigned to one of the following three groups:
1. Regular school feeding programme group: these are schools and villages where the standard Government programme is implemented, with Mayors responsible for sourcing the food.
2. Home-grown school feeding and social accountability group (HGSF+): these are schools and villages were the programme is implemented in addition to training of community organisations and local government on food sourcing, nutrition education, and feedback monitoring.
3. Control group: these are schools and household from villages were the intervention will not be implemented.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
School feeding programmes have been shown to have benefits in terms of school enrolment, attendance and drop-out. The main risks are issues related to inappropriate food management and preparation. Training activities will be provided to reduce this risk.
Where is the study run from?
The Partnership for Child Development offices in Bamako, Mali.
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
The study is underway and will be completed in December 2014.
Who is funding the study?
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (USA).
Who is the main contact?
Dr Lesley Drake
Lesley.Drake@imperial.ac.uk
Contact information
Scientific
Partnership for Child Development, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Imperial College London
London
W2 1PG
United Kingdom
| Lesley.Drake@imperial.ac.uk |
Study information
| Primary study design | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Study design | Randomised control trial |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Study type | Participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Community participation and the links between agriculture, nutrition and education: design of a randomised field experiment of 'home-grown' school feeding in Mali |
| Study objectives | School feeding programmes provide well documented direct benefits to school children and their families. Emerging evidence also suggests that they can provide a stable market for goods and services. This is the first randomised control trial that will examine this in detail. |
| Ethics approval(s) | Not provided at time of registration |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | School health and nutrition |
| Intervention | The evaluation will measure outcomes at child, household and school level. Households and schools will be randomly assigned to the intervention. Three treatment arms are envisaged: Control group: These are schools and household from villages were the intervention will not be implemented. The intervention will be delayed by at least two years in these villages, preferably without informing schools and households. Regular school feeding programme group: These are schools and villages where the standard Government programme is implemented, with Mayors responsible for the food procurement. Home grown school feeding and social accountability group (HGSF+): These are schools and villages were the programme is implemented in addition to a capacity building component including training of community-based organisations and local government on food procurement, nutrition education, and feedback monitoring. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure(s) | Small-holder farmer income, school participation and learning, and community involvement in the programme |
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) | 1. Nutritional status (anthropometry) 2. Diet-diversity |
| Completion date | 01/04/2014 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Healthy volunteer |
|---|---|
| Age group | Mixed |
| Sex | All |
| Target sample size at registration | 5700 |
| Key inclusion criteria | Primary school age children (aged 5-15) and their families, small holder farmers |
| Key exclusion criteria | Households with children not of primary school age |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/02/2012 |
| Date of final enrolment | 01/04/2014 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- United Kingdom
- England
- Mali
Study participating centre
W2 1PG
United Kingdom
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | |
| IPD sharing plan |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protocol article | protocol | 21/02/2013 | Yes | No | |
| Participant information sheet | Participant information sheet | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
