{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T04:15:22Z","timestamp":1790655322119,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,22]],"date-time":"2025-05-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1747872000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The education gap between urban and rural areas has long been a significant challenge for developing countries. This study evaluates the impact of China\u2019s large-scale Nutrition Improvement Program (NIP) on the educational outcomes of rural children, investigating the root causes of the urban\u2013rural education divide from the early stages of human capital development. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (2010\u20132020), we reveal three notable findings: (1) NIP has significantly boosted rural children\u2019s language grades by 0.223 standard deviations and math grades by 0.172 standard deviations. Over the long term, NIP raised the high school enrollment rate by 8.2%. (2) Heterogeneity analysis indicates that NIP is more effective for relatively disadvantaged groups, such as girls, younger children, and children from low-income families. (3) NIP enhances children\u2019s educational outcomes by improving children\u2019s nutritional intake, strengthening cognitive and non-cognitive abilities, reshaping family educational expectations, and increasing families\u2019 investment in education. Our findings provide valuable insights for refining public policies and contribute significantly to advancing educational equity across regions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1542861","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,22]],"date-time":"2025-05-22T05:25:52Z","timestamp":1747891552000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Free school meals and educational outcomes: evidence from China\u2019s Nutrition Improvement Program"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Zhanli","family":"Ma","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yanna","family":"Ma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wei","family":"Zou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zengzeng","family":"Fan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"413","DOI":"10.1038\/s41430-022-01199-y","article-title":"Modelling health and economic impact of nutrition interventions: a systematic review","volume":"77","author":"D\u00f6tsch-Klerk","year":"2023","journal-title":"Eur J Clin Nutr"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1360","DOI":"10.1257\/jel.20171164","article-title":"Childhood circumstances and adult outcomes: act II","volume":"56","author":"Almond","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Econ Lit"},{"key":"ref3","volume-title":"State of food and agriculture 2013: Food systems for better nutrition","year":"2013"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2502","DOI":"10.1086\/705718","article-title":"The life-cycle benefits of an influential early childhood program","volume":"128","author":"Garcia","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Polit Econ"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"223","DOI":"10.1086\/259880","article-title":"On the concept of health capital and the demand for health","volume":"80","author":"Grossman","year":"1972","journal-title":"J Polit Econ"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"281","DOI":"10.3386\/w21609","article-title":"The relationship between health and schooling: What's new?","volume":"34","author":"Grossman","year":"2015","journal-title":"NBER working paper"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpubeco.2018.09.013","article-title":"School meal quality and academic performance","volume":"168","author":"Anderson","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Public Econ"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"876","DOI":"10.1093\/restud\/rdab028","article-title":"Long-term effects of childhood nutrition: evidence from a school lunch reform","volume":"89","author":"Lundborg","year":"2022","journal-title":"Rev Econ Stud"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"489","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhealeco.2011.02.003","article-title":"Healthy school meals and educational outcomes","volume":"30","author":"Belot","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Health Econ"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101999","DOI":"10.1016\/j.econedurev.2020.101999","article-title":"Free lunch for all! 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