Nutritional Supplementation of Disadvantaged Elementary-School Children

Nutritional reinforcement of disadvantaged elementary-school children is a recognized objective. Increased emphasis over the past few years has been placed on institutional feeding programs to upgrade the nutrition of children considered to be at risk.1,2 A traditional vehicle for attempting to improve the nutritional status of these youngsters is the "type A" school feeding program. This program represents one of the largest federal efforts in the field of public health, and is important in the nutrition of over 80% of the nation's children.3 Recent reports, however, indicate that the lunch program through the provision of one third of the daily requirements will not fully meet its objective of contributing to an improved nutritional profile in disadvantaged children, 4,5 It would, therefore, seem appropriate that in addition to providing lunch and an occasional breakfast in a conventional pattern, emphasis be placed on providing additional nutritional reinforcement through an acceptable, convenient, palatable, and nutritionally enriched supplement which would assist in improving the nutrition of children.6 It is the purpose of this paper to report on the provision of a nutritionally fortified supplement, containing low lactose levels, to disadvantaged elementary-school children and the changes, if any, in: (1) hematocrit; (2) height; (3) weight; and (4) absenteeism in the supplemented and nonsupplemented children studied. METHODOLOGY Population The 177 children completely studied in the experimental school receiving the supplement represent all children in the first three grades remaining in school and participating in all elements of the study over the entire school year. The children ranged in age from 5.1 to 9.1 years.