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The relationship between the food intake frequency, weight status and intelligence in school children

Wen-Yu Hsu1,2, Suh-Woan Hu3,4, Chin-En Yen5

  • 1Department of Psychology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung.

Nutrition and Health
|September 5, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Frequent consumption of pork liver, hamburgers, fruit juices, and "Science Noodles" was linked to lower intelligence quotient (IQ) scores in school children. No significant IQ differences were found based on gender, birth order, or weight status.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Child Psychology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Understanding the interplay between diet, weight, and cognitive development in children is crucial for public health.
  • Previous research has explored links between specific nutrients and cognitive function, but less is known about the impact of frequent consumption of common food items.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between food intake frequency, weight status, and intelligence quotient (IQ) scores in elementary school children.
  • To identify specific food items whose consumption patterns may correlate with cognitive performance.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 562 children (aged 6.3–12.7 years) from Taichung City, Taiwan.
  • Dietary habits were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and weight status was determined by body mass index (BMI).
  • Intelligence quotient (IQ) was measured using Raven's colored and standard progressive matrices.

Main Results:

  • No significant relationships were found between IQ scores and gender, birth order, or weight status.
  • Higher consumption frequency of pork liver, hamburgers, fruit juices, and Taiwanese snack "Science Noodles" was significantly associated with lower IQ scores.

Conclusions:

  • Specific dietary habits, including frequent intake of certain foods like pork liver and processed snacks, may be negatively associated with cognitive function in children.
  • Further research is needed to establish causality and explore the underlying mechanisms linking these food items to lower IQ scores.

Keywords:
Body heightbody mass indexdietary habitintelligence quotientprocessed food

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