Health and nutrition as correlates of school children’s readiness in Gwagwalada Area Council-FCT Abuja

Abstract

Children in Nigeria have suffered from tropical diseases including malaria and intestinal parasites, poor health, and nutrition which have a negative impact on their education. Hence the researchers investigated health and nutrition as correlates of children's school readiness in primary schools. The study adopted a descriptive correlation research design. Health Status Rating Scale (HSRS), Nutritional Status Rating Scale (NSRS), and Children School Readiness Rating Scale (CSRS) were used to collect data. The instruments were validated by health and medical practitioners. Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was used to obtained reliability co-efficient at 0.75, 0.77, and 0.82 respectively. The data collected were analysed at 0.05 level of significance. It was revealed that, there was no significant relationship between children’s health status and children’s school readiness (r = 0.01: P>0.05), there was a significant relationship between children’s nutrition status and children’s school readiness (r = -0.14: P<0.05). It was concluded that health and nutrition status had a positive and negative correlation with children's school readiness in primary schools. It is recommended that enlightenment campaigns on children’s health status and nutrition in primary schools should be strengthened through seminars in Gwagwalada Area of FCT Abuja, Nigeria