Effect of School Feeding Program on School Absenteeism of Primary School Adolescents in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A Prospective Cohort Study.

This article evaluates the impact of the School Feeding Program (SFP) on school absenteeism among primary school adolescents in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Using a six-month prospective cohort study comparing 322 SFP beneficiaries with 322 non-beneficiaries from a neighboring city without the program, the study found that adolescents not receiving school meals were significantly more likely to be absent from school, with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.37 after controlling for biological, sociodemographic, health, nutrition, and lifestyle factors. Female adolescents had higher absenteeism rates, while those from lower wealth index families showed decreased absenteeism, possibly due to reliance on school meals. The findings suggest that strengthening and expanding the SFP, with particular attention to adolescent girls, could reduce absenteeism and improve educational outcomes in Ethiopia.