2.3. Participants and Intervention
EGG ALLERGY
We recruited students from six rural primary schools and the eligibility criteria included students ages 8–14 years. The participants were excluded if they had an egg allergy. The trial profile is presented in Before conducting the intervention, all participants were asked to maintain their usual consumption of eggs and dietary cholesterol for four weeks (washout period [week-4]). Participants who were randomized to an intervention (WE and PS) continued their usual dietary habits. The intervention was delivered individually to each classroom at their general lunch time. The WE group received cycle ready-to-eat commercial menu items (S.W. Foodtech., Co., Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand) such as hard-boiled whole eggs, scrambled eggs, stewed eggs, omelets, etc., while the PS group received ready-to-eat commercial menu items such as hard-boiled egg whites or chicken sausages. On average, WE participants received 800 to 850 kcal/d, 2100 to 2260 mg of dietary cholesterol, and 70 to 80 g of protein, while PS participants received 810 to 850 kcal/d, 50 to 220 mg of dietary cholesterol, and 70 to 80 g of protein during the 5 school days. The participants in the control group received standard school lunches according to the Thai school lunch program. No group received additional meals or supplementation on the weekends. The participants recruited in this study were followed up at the baseline, 14 weeks, and 35 weeks. 