Comprehensive school-based health programs to improve child and adolescent health: Evidence from Zambia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

While school-aged children in low- and middle-income countries remain highly exposed to acute infections, programs targeting this age group remain limited in scale and scope. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of a new and comprehensive primary school-based health intervention program on student-reported morbidity and anthropometric outcomes in Lusaka, Zambia.

Methods

A prospective matched control study identified 12 classes in 7 schools for the intervention and 12 classes in 7 matched schools as controls. Teachers in intervention schools were trained to deliver health lessons and to refer sick students to care. In addition, vitamin A and deworming medication were biannually administered to intervention students. The primary study outcome was student-reported m

SUBMITTER: Wei D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6544295 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature