The Effects Of Nutrition On Students Academic Performance

THE EFFECTS OF NUTRITION ON STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Chapiter 1

Introduction

1.1 History Of The Study

More than a quarter of children in Sub-Saharan Africa under the age of fifteen are underweight as a result of inadequate nourishment and deprivation, which makes them more prone to illness and less able to concentrate in class, according to the EFA Global Monitoring Report (UNESCO 2011). According to Ecker and Nene (2012), malnutrition is a clinical condition that happens when a person consumes too much or too little of one or more essential macro- or micronutrients compared to their physiological and pathological needs. When the body lacks the nutrients it requires to thrive, it develops malnutrition, a dangerous condition. Poor nutrition may be caused by a lack of food or by an unbalanced diet that is low in one or more nutrients (Chinyoka & Naidu, 2013). According to Nabarro et al. (2012), kids who don’t get enough of some essential minerals including calcium, potassium, and vitamin C will not be able to function at their best in kindergarten. Connell (2010) found that only 14% of high birth weight children had the same situation as low birth weight children, who experienced either repeating grades or being placed in special education schools. According to a different study (Bray et al., 2010), low birth weight linked to insufficient nutrition increases the likelihood of repeating grades. Families can help their kids eat right so they can do well in school by understanding the effects that food deficits can have on learning. This reveals how pupils in grade seven’s academic success is influenced by their diet.

No nation can afford to waste its resources, especially the brainpower of its citizens. But that is exactly what happens when children’s brains suffer irreversible damage from vitamin deficiencies, and their ability to learn is hindered by anemia and temporary famine. State boards of education have been looking for ways to enhance test scores, exam results, and create school districts where all students receive the finest education possible in an educational environment that is replete with failed schools and angry instructors. Examining the nutritional value of the food that school-aged pupils consume each day while attempting to study on a daily basis, as well as the effect of such nutrition on academic performance, is one potential solution for enhancing academic attainment.

Human existence, fitness, and growth over the lifespan depend heavily on nutrition. From the earliest phases of fetal development, birth, and through adulthood and old age, proper food and nutrition are crucial for lifespan, physical growth, mental development, success and competitiveness, fitness, and well-being (WHO 2000). The function of “steam” in a car can be used to compare the significance of nourishment to both human existence and scholastic accomplishment. Similar to tiny energy-generating machines, our cells require routine maintenance to stay in excellent operating order. The cells become sluggish and unproductive if they don’t receive adequate nutrient-rich power.

An inadequate diet, or the consumption of unbalanced food, results in malnutrition diseases as obesity, pellagra, night blindness, rickets, goiter, anemia, and so on. Previous studies have not adequately examined the connection between diet and cognition, as well as psychosocial behavior, which affect academic achievement. In this study, it will be examined in further detail.

1.2 Statement of the research problem:

Any person’s performance, particularly that of students, depends greatly on their diet. This has long been a topic of discussion among interested parties, including teachers, parents, and governments, in a system of education plagued by failing schools and failing children. Although most people feel that the government can help with nutrition, parents and teachers are still important. On the other side, parents can make it a habit of making sure the students eat enough food before going to school or at the very least packing the food for the children to take to school. Students come from different households, yet the guilt is placed on the government and the school community.

This study aims to investigate how students’ academic performance is impacted by their diet.

1.3 Purpose Of The Study

1. How a healthy diet affects pupils’ academic performance.

2. To look into how pupils’ physical development is affected by their diet.

3. How poor diet affects students’ academic performance.

1.4 Questions For Research

1. How does a healthy diet affect pupils’ academic performance?

2. What part does diet play in pupils’ physical growth?

3. How does malnutrition affect students’ academic performance?

1.5 Relationship To Other Studies

When the study is finished, it will examine how food affects a student’s academic success. Additionally, this study will examine a few of the health problems connected to diet and illnesses related to nutrition that students have reported. Some dietary-related health issues will also be favored to treatment and prevention. Additionally, they would be informed about illnesses associated with a poor diet and how they affect student progress. Therefore, it is predicted that the study’s findings will aid state and local organizations in their efforts to enhance student wellbeing and food availability. In order to meet the Nutritional Association’s Current Meal Pattern Requirement, this research would give kids, caregivers, and instructors the abilities needed to manage the limited resources available. Additionally, it would serve as a resource for other researchers.

1.6 The Study’s Scope

This study will only focus on the impact of nutrition on students’ academic performance while taking into account some of the key elements that guarantee the students receive the right nutrients.

1.7 Limitations of the study:

Due to a lack of funding and time, this study had certain limitations.

1.8 Operational Terms Definition

1. NUTRITION: The procedure of ingesting food and utilizing it for metabolism, development, and repair.

Academic performance is the degree to which a student, instructor, or institution has met their immediate or long-term learning objectives.