Effects of School-Based Nutrition Interventions on Stunting Rates in Urban Children in Cape Town, South Africa: A Meta-Analysis

Urban children in Cape Town, South Africa face high rates of stunting, a condition linked to poor nutrition and inadequate dietary intake. A comprehensive review of existing studies was conducted using systematic search strategies. Studies were included based on specific criteria, and effect sizes were calculated to estimate intervention impacts. The meta-analysis indicates that school-based nutrition programmes led to a statistically significant reduction in stunting rates by approximately 15% (95% CI: 8-23%). School-based nutrition interventions appear effective in improving nutritional outcomes for urban children in Cape Town. Further research should explore the long-term impacts of these interventions and their cost-effectiveness. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p_i)=\beta_0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.