Home-packed lunch quality for kindergarten children in Jimma Zone
Effect of Nutrition Education on the Diet Quality of Home Packed School Lunch Among Preschool Children Attending Kindergarten School in Jimma Zone, South West Ethiopia, 2026
This project will test whether weekly nutrition education for parents (leaflets and Telegram messages) plus school nutrition lessons can improve the quality of home-packed lunches for kindergarten children in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 451 (estimated) |
| Ages | 4 Years to 7 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Jimma University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Jimma, Oromiya) |
| Trial ID | NCT07506772 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This cluster randomized controlled trial will enroll 451 kindergarten students from ten schools in the Jimma Zone, randomly assigning five schools to a multi-component nutrition education intervention and five to usual practice. The intervention delivers weekly parent education via printed leaflets and mHealth (Telegram) plus school-based nutrition sessions led by trained female health workers/nutritionists. Outcomes include measures of home-packed lunch diet quality and children's dietary preferences, collected using quantitative diet indicators and concurrent qualitative methods. The trial compares cluster-level changes over one school semester to determine the intervention's effect.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are children aged 4–7 years enrolled in the selected kindergarten schools in the Jimma Zone whose parents or caregivers agree to provide written consent.
Not a fit: Children outside the 4–7 age range, those not enrolled in a participating school, or families facing severe food insecurity where education alone cannot change available foods are unlikely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the intervention could increase dietary diversity and healthier food choices in home-packed lunches, improving preschoolers' nutrition and early food preferences.
How similar studies have performed: Previous school- and parent-focused nutrition education programs have produced modest but meaningful improvements in young children's diet diversity and food preferences in comparable settings, though results vary by context and program intensity.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria * Children aged 4-7 years attending kindergarten schools in the selected clusters. * Parents or caregivers willing to provide written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Students who will not finish the school year/intervention semister in the selected cluster/school. * Mothers/caregivers who will not give consent for the participation in the study will be excluded.
Where this trial is running
Jimma, Oromiya
- Jimma University — Jimma, Oromiya, Ethiopia (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Yordanos Bekele Tadesse, MSc — Jimma University, Mizan Tepi University
- Study coordinator: Yordanos Bekele, MSc
- Email: yordybeke@gmail.com
- Phone: +251917106192
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.