Intervention
Five countries were first selected for this intervention to represent the two main cultural and dietary facets of the region: the Levant (Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine) and the gulf (Saudi Arabia and Bahrain). The programme was coined ‘Ajyal Salima’ and aimed to subsequently be rolled out to other countries in the region. Ajyal Salima was implemented by Health and Education ministries in each country in collaboration with school administration and teaching staff. Students in intervention schools received the programme components over the duration of the school year. In parallel, students enrolled in control schools followed their usual curriculum which did not include nutritional awareness activities. The programme focused on promoting healthy eating and an active lifestyle. Its focus areas included increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, having breakfast daily, minimising the intake of energy-dense foods and beverages and engaging in regular physical activity. The intervention was based on the constructs of the social cognitive theory,