Prasanna Kumari, BSheelakumary, JKAU2017-10-202017-10-202012http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810033438The presented study entitled “Impact of nutrition communication intervention on the quality of mid day meal programme” was conducted with the objective of imparting nutrition communication as an intervention programme in order to improve the quality of mid day meals and to assess its impact. Locale of the study selected was Govt upper primary school Bhagavathinada, Thiruvananthapuram District. The survey was the criteria followed for the selection of the respondents. A checklist specially designed for the purpose was used to identify the respondents. The sample comprised of fifty students. The conduct of the midday meal programme in the selected schools was studied so as to gain an insight into the general quality of the programme’s implementation and to select the school having poor performance with regard to the conduct of midday meal programme for conducting further study. The different parameters studied regarding the implementation of the midday meal programme were as follows. Infrastructure and space available in the school for cooking and serving meals, total quantity of food cooked and served in relation to number of children partaking the meal, the menu followed for the mid day meal programme for a week, inclusion of vegetables and green leafy vegetables and fruits in the mid day meal, nutritional quality of meal per serve, hygienic practices followed in the preparation of the mid day meal, availability of drinking water in the school, waste disposal measures followed. Scores were allotted for each of the above parameters and the schools were evaluated by the investigator by observing as well as interviewing the personnel concerned with the implementation of the programme including the Headmaster/Headmistress of the schools, the concerned teachers, as well as the cooks engaged for the preparation of the meals. Assessment of social status of the respondents revealed that among the age group of 12-13 years. The majority of the respondents belonged to Hindu religion and about eighty two percent. Analysis of family structure revealed that the majority of the respondents belonged to nuclear type of families and had a small family size with four members. Regarding educational status it was found that the majority of fathers and mothers had educational up to upper primary level. The occupational status of the fathers showed that the majority of them were casual labourers and among mothers most of them were house wives. The nutritional status index of majority of the participants computed was found to be medium when the parameters like weight, height, mid upper arm circumferences and haemoglobin level were taken in to account. The classification of the respondents according to BMI based on Eliz health path for adolescents (2005) showed that 48 percent of the participants came in the chronic energy deficient category. Assessment of clinical status of the respondents revealed that the majority of had aneamic. Other symptoms like pigmentation, gums spongy bleeding, molted enamel and dental carriers were also found to among the respondents. Haemoglobin level of the respondents revealed that about forty two per cent of the respondents were non aneamic. Thirty four percent were marginally and twenty percent were mildly aneamic, while six percent were moderately aneamic. Dietary habits of the respondents indicated that all of them were habitual non vegetarians. Among the respondents cereals, sugars, milk and milk products, nuts and oil seeds, fish, beverages and other vegetables were the food items most frequently used. Meat, egg, other vegetables and green leafy vegetables were the food items used less frequently. Mean nutrient intake of the respondents showed that energy, protein and fat intake were found to be in par with Recommended Dietary Intake (RDA) where as iron intake was found to be low. The pre test on the knowledge of the participants on nutrition of the school child and mid day meal programme showed that the mean knowledge score was 10.4 out of 15and the attitude study showed the mean value as 48 out of 60. The intervention programme consisted of nutrition education with the help of visual aids like charts and leaflets. The demonstration of the specially formulated and standardized nutri meal was very acceptable to the school authorities as well as the participants. The post test conducted revealed a significant change in the knowledge and attitude of the participants. The study points out the need for continuance of the mid day meal programme since it is necessary to improve the nutritional status of school children. It also stresses the need for supplying tasty and nutritious noon meals. The scope of nutrition communication programmes for bringing about positive change in dietary patterns is also evident from this study. Hence, nutrition communication should be incorporated in the mid day meal programme for the authorities concerned with the implementation of the programme as well as the participants.ennullThesis