Gender-Specific Nutrition Initiatives for Adolescent Girls in Zimbabwean Urban Areas: Programme Outcomes and Adoption Rates Survey Research

Adolescent girls in Zimbabwean urban areas face significant nutritional challenges due to poverty, cultural norms, and limited access to nutritious food. A mixed-methods survey approach was employed, including questionnaires, focus groups, and interviews with adolescents, parents, educators, and programme administrators. Data were collected from October to December . Programme participants reported a significant increase in daily fruit consumption (from 1 serving per week to an average of 4 servings per day) compared to non-participants, indicating improved nutritional intake. The gender-specific nutrition initiatives have been well-received and adopted by the target audience, with positive impacts on health and dietary habits among adolescent girls in urban areas. Further research should explore long-term sustainability strategies and potential scaling of these successful programmes to other regions. nutrition initiatives, adolescent girls, gender-specific programming, urban settings, Zimbabwe