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Effects of nutritional status on academic performance of Malaysian primary school children
M Z Anuar Zaini1, C T Lim, W Y Low
1Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Insights
Parental income, education, and breastfeeding significantly impact children's academic success. Promoting breastfeeding and improving socio-economic status can enhance student performance.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Educational Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Student academic performance is influenced by numerous factors including prenatal, birth, postnatal, nutritional, socio-economic, and environmental conditions.
- Nutritional status is a critical determinant of cognitive development and academic achievement in school-aged children.
- Socio-economic factors play a significant role in a child's overall well-being and educational outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between nutritional status and academic performance in primary school children aged 9-10 years.
- To identify key nutritional and socio-economic factors associated with academic and intellectual performance.
- To provide evidence-based recommendations for improving children's academic outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 1,405 primary school children in Selangor, Malaysia.
- Data collection included self-administered questionnaires, parent interviews, academic report card extraction, Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices for intellectual assessment, and physical examinations.
- Nutritional status was assessed using Body Mass Index (BMI), with categories for underweight, normal, overweight, and obese.
Main Results:
- Academic performance showed significant correlations with breastfeeding, parental income and education level, Body Mass Index (BMI), and regular breakfast consumption.
- A weak correlation was observed between anemia and intellectual performance.
- The majority of children (76.3%) had a normal BMI, with 16.3% overweight and 6.3% obese.
Conclusions:
- Improving parental socio-economic status is crucial for enhancing students' academic performance.
- Breastfeeding is positively associated with better academic and intellectual outcomes and should be promoted during antenatal care.
- Targeted interventions focusing on nutrition and socio-economic support can positively influence children's educational success.
Abstract:
Numerous factors are known to affect the academic performance of students. These include prenatal conditions, birth conditions, postnatal events, nutritional, socio-economic factors and environmental factors. This paper examines the nutritional status and its relationship with academic performance of 9-10 years old primary school children recruited randomly in Selangor, Malaysia. A standard self-administered questionnaire was utilized to obtain pertinent information and a face-to-face interview was also conducted with the parents. Results of the academic performances were extracted from the students' report cards. The intellectual performance was assessed using Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices. Physical examination was also conducted on these students by doctors. Overall 1,405 students and 1,317 parents responded to the survey. Of these 83.6% were Malays, 11.6% Indians, and 4.2% Chinese. The majority of them (82.9%) were from urban areas. The female: male ratio was 51:49; mean age was 9.71 years. The mean height and weight were 32.3 kg and 135.2 cm respectively. Their mean BMI was 17.42 kg/cm2, with 0.9% underweight, 76.3% normal BMI, 16.3% overweight, and 6.3% obese. Academic performance was significantly correlated with breast feeding, income and educational level of their parents, BMI, and whether they have been taking breakfast. There was a weak correlation between presence of anaemia and intellectual performance. Improving the socio-economic status of the parents will lend a helping hand in the academic performance of the students. Since breast feeding is associated with better academic and intellectual performance it must be emphasized, particularly to expectant mothers in the antenatal clinics.
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