Educational achievement relationship with nutritional status and primary school children growth in suburb areas of Kermanshah (2012)

Malnutrition and none healthy dietary habits may lead to physical and mental growth disorder and cognitive function. This study aimed to determine the relationship between dietary habits and educational achievement among primary school children in Kermanshah suburb areas.

A cross-sectional study was designed and 704 primary school children recruited from the Kermanshah suburb area. Food Frequency and demographic questionnaires applied for data collection. The body weight and height measured and body mass index (BMI) percentile for age and gender were calculated. Educational achievement based on age and dental status of decays, missing and filling (DMF) was also investigated.

The average age was 9.58 ± 1.03 years, % 48.4 boy and %51.6 girl. According to the BMI percentiles the prevalence of wasting, overweight and obesity were %16.7%, 13.2 and 4.3% respectively. The number of decayed teeth among children was 3.42 ± 2.5. 3.3 % of children attended to school without having breakfast and 17.3% of them attend with irregular breakfast eating. There was a positive relationship between children average marks and using milk, meat (P=0.001), chicken(P=0.007), yogurt(P=0.01), rice(P=0.004), salad, dates and nuts(P=0.007). A negative significant correlation observed between consumption of traditional soup (P=0.03), stew and lentil soup (P=0.01).

High prevalence of malnutrition (over and under) and inappropriate eating habits especially low diary and meat products consumtion with attending in school without having breckfast may negative affect children health and educational atchivements. Healthy eating and increasing more nutritional knowledge of primary school children and parents may help to combat the problem.