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Promoting school readiness through a preschool feeding program: A nutritional nudge to improve at-risk preschooler’s cognitive development in Armenia

Author

Listed:
  • Knauer, Heather A.
  • Balasanyan, Sona
  • Bakhshinyan, Elmira
  • Alderman, Harold

Abstract

Many school feeding programs target child hunger, nutritional deficiencies, attendance, and education outcomes but often do not examine their effects on cognitive development. In this cluster-randomized controlled trial, we tested the effects of adding a morning snack to a school lunch program on the fluid intelligence of 951 children ages 4 to 6 years. While there were no significant effects on development overall, the morning snack improved short-term memory (STM) and total score on the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV) among children from the lowest quartile of household expenditures (STM: 0.35SD, p = 0.020; WPPSI-IV: 0.65SD, p = 0.087), and those whose mothers completed secondary school or less (STM: 0.35SD, p = 0.002; total WPPSI-IV: 0.81SD, p = 0.011). For at risk preschoolers, school snack programs may help meet their developmental needs.

Suggested Citation

  • Knauer, Heather A. & Balasanyan, Sona & Bakhshinyan, Elmira & Alderman, Harold, 2021. "Promoting school readiness through a preschool feeding program: A nutritional nudge to improve at-risk preschooler’s cognitive development in Armenia," IFPRI discussion papers 2046, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    • Handle: RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2046
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    Keywords

    ARMENIA; ASIA; school feeding; school meals; children; cognitive development; preschool children; nutrition; WPPSI;
    All these keywords.

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