Dietary Diversity: Association with Academic Performance and Anthropometric Indices of Rural Nigerian School Children
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3923/pjn.2020.61.67Keywords:
Academic performance, anthropometric indices, dietary diversity, malnutrition, schoolchildrenAbstract
Background and Objective: A lack of dietary diversity is a qualitative reflection of inadequate nutrient(s) in the diet of individuals. This study was conducted to assess dietary diversity and its association with academic performance and anthropometric indices of primary school children (6-12 years) in Ukehe, a rural community in Nsukka, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A multistage random sampling technique was used to select 522 respondents. Dietary diversity was assessed using the 2010 Food and Agriculture Organization guidelines for measuring individual dietary diversity. Academic records of the children were used to assess their academic performance. Anthropometric measurements of the respondents were obtained using standard procedures. Data were analyzed using the computer software package Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS). Significance was accepted at p<0.05. Results: Some (30.3%) of the respondents had low dietary diversity scores, whereas most (54.8%) had an average academic performance. Some (31.8%) of the respondents who were in the medium dietary diversity category also had an average academic performance. Stunting was present in 4.4% of the respondents, 5.0% were underweight and 3.4% were wasted. Dietary diversity was positively associated with academic performance and anthropometric indices. Conclusion: Medium dietary diversity and an average academic performance were recorded for most of the respondents. Low prevalence of stunting, wasting, underweight and overweight existed among the respondents.
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