Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Healthy eating supports mental clarity, physical development, and focus in the classroom. However, government policy, cultural customs, education, family income, and food access, influence children's nutrition, which in turn affects school-age children's growth, development, and academic achievement. This study aimed to explore the barriers and facilitators influencing the nutritional and dietary intake of school-age children in urban low-income settings in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 10 schools (6 public and 4 private) from 2 subcities in Addis Ababa participated in a qualitative phenomenological study conducted in May 2024. Focus group discussions, key informant interviews (KIIs), and in-depth interviews (IDIs) with 92 participants were used to gather data. A total of 77 participants (41 male, 36 female) participated in 6 focus groups, 10 IDIs, and 5 KIIs from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Save the Children, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI). Using MAXQDA software, native language data were transcribed, translated, and then thematically analyzed. RESULTS: Two major themes emerged from the study's findings. The fisrt one is barriers to healthy nutrition and dietary intake in school-aged children, including lack of awareness, inadequate and unhealthy dietary practices, financial hardship and time constraints within households, parental lack of awareness, food accessibility issues, poor infrastructure, and inconsistent policies. These factors were described as potential contributors to challenges in children's nutrition. The second one is facilitators, which include school meal programs, community engagement, family support, physical activity, and policy support for healthy eating, all of which are seen as promoting healthier dietary behaviors and possibly improving children's focus and participation in school activities. CONCLUSION: Several factors influence children's diet and nutrition. Improving children's nutritional and general well-being requires focused nutrition education, policy interventions, and the utilization of coordinators.