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Article History

Received: 22 July 2025

Accepted: 11 March 2026

First Online: 14 April 2026

Declarations

:

: This study has received ethical approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhopal. IEC Approval Reference Number: AIIMS/IHEC-LOP/2025/IP003. A certified copy of the original approval letter and an English translation will be submitted as an additional file with this manuscript, as required by Trials . Written, informed consent to participate will be obtained from the parents or legal guardians of all school-going child participants. In addition, age-appropriate assent will be obtained from the children themselves, in accordance with national ethical guidelines and institutional policies. The study protocol adheres to the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki and complies with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) National Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical and Health Research Involving Human Participants (2017).

: No identifiable individual-level information, images, or videos will be published as part of this study protocol. If such materials are included in future publications or reports, written informed consent for publication will be obtained from the individuals concerned or, in the case of minors, from their parents or legal guardians. A model informed consent form, child assent form, and associated participant information sheets have been developed in accordance with the guidelines of the Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC), AIIMS Bhopal, and are available in both English and Hindi. These documents will be provided to the journal editorial office upon request.

: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.