Food intake and academic performance among adolescents

Prince Edward Island adolescents' food use was examined, as were possible associations between food use and grade, sex, and academic performance.

Participants (n=325) were purposively selected from four junior high schools. Dietary data were collected using an adaptation of the 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Demographic information and self-reported academic performance were also assessed. Vegetable and fruit (VF) and milk scores were created, and multivariate analysis was performed to identify which combination of grade, sex, VF score, and milk score predicted academic performance best.

Mean daily intakes of VF (4.3 +/- 2.9 servings) and milk (1.7 +/- 1.4 servings) were below recommended levels. Students with higher academic performance (average grades above 90%) were more likely to consume milk, vegetables, and fruit daily than were those who reported lower grades. There was no significant difference in the proportion of adequate milk intakes between students reporting higher and lower academic performance.

The association between VF intake and academic performance supports the need for further research with a larger, more representative sample.