Relationship Between Nutritional Status and Cognition of School-Aged Children

Abstract

A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 384 pupils aged 5-12 years selected from 3 public primary schools
using a multi-stage sampling technique. Information on cognitive performance was collected using Raven’s Standard Progressive
Matrices. Food Frequency Questionnaire and 24-hour dietary recall were used to obtain dietary information while anthropometric
data were sourced using weighing scales and height meters. The mean age of the respondents was 9.0 ± 1.8 years. The mean
weight and height were 23.4±4.6kg and 1.25±0.1m respectively. 1.6% of the respondents had normal height-for-age (>1 SD),
92.7% were moderately stunted (-2 to -3 SD) and 5.7% were severely stunted (<-3SD). The Standard Progressive Matrices
showed that primary 5 and primary 4 pupils had the highest and lowest mean cognition score of 24.5 and 19.4 respectively.
Positive correlation was observed between weight of pupils and intake of Carbohydrate (0.228), Protein (0.142), Fiber (0.157),
Folate (0.232), Iron (0.254) and Zinc (0.125). Similarly, a significant correlation was also observed between vitamin A intake
and Set B cognition scores. Height-for-age and BMI-for-age did not have a significant effect on cognition as shown in the study.
However, the correlation coefficient of (r=0.108; p<0.005) reveals that there is a weak but significant relationship between weight
and Total Cognition Score (TCS). These findings suggest that Weight-for-height is a better anthropometric index for assessing
the relationship between nutritional status and cognition among school-aged children. Also, consumption of vitamin A-rich foods
should be encouraged for cognitive development in the school age