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An Apple a Day : The Impact of Healthier School Meals on Children in Jordan

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  • Lombardini, Simone
  • Kondylis, Florence
  • Lerva, Benedetta
  • Heirman, Jonas
  • Khincha, Roshni
  • Uckat, Hannah Irmela

Abstract

Poor nutritional choices and unhealthy behaviors are considered responsible for the rise in childhood overweight and obesity and may reinforce each other, creating a vicious cycle. This paper studies a primary school intervention designed to break the cycle early in life by replacing date bars with calorie-equivalent meals lower in sugar and fat. Leveraging the randomized pilot of a menu change in Jordan’s national school feeding program, the study shows that children consuming the alternative meals spend 8 percent less money to buy processed snacks, are more physically active (0.1 standard deviation), and go to school one extra day per year.

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  • Lombardini, Simone & Kondylis, Florence & Lerva, Benedetta & Heirman, Jonas & Khincha, Roshni & Uckat, Hannah Irmela, 2025. "An Apple a Day : The Impact of Healthier School Meals on Children in Jordan," Policy Research Working Paper Series 11208, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:11208
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    1. repec:cdl:agrebk:qt15n8j26f is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Damien de Walque & Christine Valente, 2023. "Incentivizing School Attendance in the Presence of Parent-Child Information Frictions," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 15(3), pages 256-285, August.
    3. Anderson, Michael L., 2008. "Multiple Inference and Gender Differences in the Effects of Early Intervention: A Reevaluation of the Abecedarian, Perry Preschool, and Early Training Projects," Journal of the American Statistical Association, American Statistical Association, vol. 103(484), pages 1481-1495.
    4. List, John A. & Samek, Anya Savikhin, 2015. "The behavioralist as nutritionist: Leveraging behavioral economics to improve child food choice and consumption," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 135-146.
    5. Adelman, Sarah W. & Gilligan, Daniel O. & Lehrer, Kim, 2008. "How effective are food for education programs?: A critical assessment of the evidence from developing countries," Food policy reviews 9, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    6. John Cawley, 2004. "The Impact of Obesity on Wages," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 39(2).
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