Nutritional status of primary school children: Association with intelligence quotient and academic performance

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

This study aimed to explore the relationship between food intake frequency, weight status, and intelligence among school children. A cross-sectional study involved 562 children (aged 6.3-12.7 years) randomly selected from five elementary schools in Taichung City, Taiwan. Demographic information was collected, and the children's body weight and height were measured to calculate their body mass index. A food frequency questionnaire assessed the participating children's dietary habits. Intelligence quotient scores were evaluated using Raven's colored progress matrices for first and second graders, and Raven's standard progressive matrices for third to sixth graders. This study found that there was no significant relationship in intelligence quotient scores between gender, birth order groups, and weight status. The higher consumption of pork liver, hamburgers, fruit juices, and the Taiwanese snack "Science Noodles" was associated with lower intelligence quotient scores among school children.

Dietary diversity in primary schoolchildren of south-central Côte d'Ivoire and risk factors for non-communicable diseases

BACKGROUND

A balanced nutrition is important for children's physical and cognitive development; yet, remains a challenge in many parts of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Early detection of nutritional deficiency and metabolic syndrome in school-aged children is necessary to prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in later life. This study aimed at obtaining baseline data on health, nutritional status, and metabolic markers of NCDs among primary schoolchildren in Côte d'Ivoire.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 620 children from 8 public primary schools located in the south-central part of Côte d'Ivoire. Underweight and overweight were defined as a body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) < 5th and 85th up to 95th percentile for sex and age, respectively. Dietary diversity of children was calculated based on a 24-hour recall conducted with the primary caretaker according to the guideline of Food and Agriculture Organization. Anaemia, malaria, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and blood glucose levels (HbA1c) were assessed, using capillary blood samples. Logistic models were performed to identify risk factors associated with overweight, HDL-C, LDL-C, and HbA1c.

RESULTS

Among the 620 children (330 girls, 290 boys; Mage 8.0 (± 1.7) years), 530 children attended school in a semi-urban and 90 in a rural area. Around 60% of children had a medium dietary diversity score (DDS). Children in peri-urban areas consumed more cereals (80.2% vs. 63.3%, p < 0.05). Most children were normal weight (n = 496), whereas 3.9% of children classified as prediabetic, 5% were underweight, and 15% overweight. LDL-C and HDL-C levels of children were associated with age, high DDS, and moderate anaemia. A significant association was found between prediabetes and malaria infection, as well as medium and high DDS. Overweight was associated with malaria infection and moderate anaemia.

CONCLUSION

Overweight, prediabetes, low HDL-C, malaria, and anaemia are the main concerns of children's health in Taabo. Our findings highlight interactions between infectious diseases, particularly malaria, and NCD risk factors. Monitoring NCD risk and infectious disease comorbidity in LMIC paediatric populations simultaneously is essential to better understand the dual diseases burden and apply early prevention measures.

Association between Non-Verbal Intelligence and Academic Performance of Schoolchildren from Taza, Eastern Morocco

Interest in identifying factors influencing educational success is growing. It is often observed that a group of students share the same external variables (school environment) yet have different results, which states that individual variables have more impact on the determination of academic performance. Therefore, the present study aimed to substantiate this fact by investigating the association between non-verbal fluid intelligence and academic performance in a population of schoolchildren in Eastern Morocco. The investigation was a cross-sectional study based on a self-administered questionnaire. Items included the standard Raven's progressive matrices. Students' grades were collected from the administrative offices of the visited schools. Significant and positive correlations between the non-verbal intelligence scores and the school results were found: for the general average, the correlation was 0.574; for the school subject French, the correlation coefficient was 0.475; and for mathematics, we found a relatively low coefficient of 0.381. Non-verbal fluid intelligence significantly and positively predicted academic performance (β = .574, p = .000). These results call for policymakers to implement the use of intelligence tests with school directors and teachers as a diagnostic tool to guide support efforts for low-achieving children and even to create pilot classes for the best-performing students.