d shortages due to limited land, a factor likely to jeopardize food intake and hence nutritional status of school children.Study population
The study sample comprised of class five and six pupils from public schools. These classes were chosen because the pupils were likely to have participated in the lunch programme for at least two years, since most children start participating in the programme at class three. It was assumed that a minimum of two years' participation in the programme would be adequate to demonstrate the impact of the programme on the nutritional status of the children.
Sample size and Sampling Procedures
A sample size of 320 pupils (160 participants and 160 non-participants) was randomly selected for the study according to the formula suggested by Fisher et al.  for comparative studies. This study adopted a cross-sectional survey design. This incorporated both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. Schools with SLP were identified using records at the Emuhaya Division education offices. According to the records, sixteen schools in the Division had the SLP while thirty seven did not. To obtain the study sample, eight schools were randomly picked from schools with SLP. Since Emuhaya Division has four locations, two schools were randomly selected from each location. To do this, schools with the SLP in each location were listed and two schools selected from each location using simple random sampling.
To obtain the pupils' sample in each school, teachers provided standard 5 and 6 lists of pupils to constitute the sampling frame. The study pupils were then selected using stratified random sampling. The strata for this population were obtained by grouping the population into two; participants and non-participants in the SLP. Ten pupils were then randomly selected in each group to obtain 20 pupils per class. This gave 40 pupils per school and a total sample of 320 pupils for the eight schools. One parent of each index child was selected to provide data on socio-economic characteristics of their households.Data collection Instruments and procedures
Permission to conduct the research was granted by the District Education office. The head teachers of the various schools then requested parents of the study children to allow the researcher to collect data on their socio-economic characteristics and home diet. Data was collected using anthropometry, 24-hour recall, observed weighed technique and interview schedule. Anthropometric measurements yielded data used to determine nutritional status of the children using weight-for-age, height-for-age and weight-for-height indices. The height and weight were measured using a height board and an electronic "Seca' weighing scale respectively. The ages of the index children were obtained from the school records and parents and also verified with birth certificates and baptism cards.
The 24-hour recall yielded data on kinds of foods and nutrients pupils eat at home. This enabled the researcher to establish the adequacy of the home diet and control its influence on the nutritional status of the pupils. For the observed weighed technique, volumes of food portions served and consumed by the children were measured according to guidelines suggested by Cameroon and Staveron  for food consumption studies. Measurements were done using standard measuring cups and jars. The left-overs for each child were also measured. All measurements were carried out by the researcher. The proportions of the ingredients used in cooking and the total volume of the food cooked were also measured. The nutrients consumed were then computed using the food composition tables of World Health Organization for East, South and Central Africa . Interview schedules yielded information on demographic and socio-economic characteristics of households.3.8 Data Analysis
Data was analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software was used for data analysis to generate frequencies, percentages and means in the descriptive analysis of socio-econom