Abstract
BACKGROUND: Childhood overweight and obesity are increasing in low- and middle-income countries, including Tanzania, due to changing lifestyles and diets. This study evaluated the effect of a school-based physical activity (PA) programme and multi-micronutrient supplementation (MMNS) on body composition among primary schoolchildren in the Kilombero district, Tanzania. METHODS: In a cluster-randomized design, children aged 6-12 years were assigned to one of four groups: PA, MMNS, both interventions combined (PA + MMNS), or control. Body composition was assessed at baseline and after 14 months (T2) and 26 months (T3). RESULTS: Among 745 children (396 girls, 349 boys) from 16 clusters assessed at T3, no statistically significant differences in overall body composition (primary outcome) were observed across intervention groups compared to control. However, sex-stratified analyses revealed important differential responses: girls in the PA arm showed significant decreases in both fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM), while girls in the PA + MMNS arm exhibited significant decreases in FFM and truncal fat-free mass (TrFFM). In contrast, boys in the MMNS arm demonstrated significant increases in FFM and TrFFM, while boys in the PA + MMNS arm showed significant increases in FFM and TrFFM alongside a significant decrease in truncal fat mass (TrFM). CONCLUSION: The interventions showed gender-specific effects on body composition. Further research is warranted to understand why boys and girls respond differently to similar interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered on 9 August 2018, with ISRCTN. https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN29534081 .