An assessment of nutritional status and its association with school performance among school-age children (8–14 years) in Gauripalya, Bengaluru

Abstract

Abstract Background: Children are the most vulnerable group that suffers from malnutrition. Nutritional status can affect the overall development of children. It may also affect the school performance of children. The present study is an attempt to assess the nutritional status of school-going children and its association with their school performance. Materials and Methods: A total of 430 students from classes 3 to 7 standard from two schools in rural Bangalore, India, were included in the study. Information on the age and socioeconomic status of students were collected from school records. Height and weight measurements were taken. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Children were clinically examined for pallor. World Health Organization ‘Z’ score charts were used to categorize weight for age, height for age, and BMI for age. The annual scholastic performance has been correlated with the poor nutrition of children. Student’s t-test (two-tailed, independent) and Chi-square/Fisher exact test have been used to evaluate the relationship between nutritional status and annual scholastic performance. Results: A total of 430 students participated in this study. The prevalence of underweight in boys was 25.21% (119) and in girls was 19.82% (111). The prevalence of stunting in boys was 12.60% (119), while in girls, it was 9% (111). The prevalence of wasting in the boys was 32.77% (119) and was 29.73% (111) in the girl, respectively. Among them, A + grade results were in 10 (2.30%), B grade results were in 70 (35.0%), and B + grade results were in 81 (35.22%). Conclusion: Hence, we conclude that the prevalence of malnutrition is higher among males than in females and children with lower socioeconomic status are more affected. Moreover, the nutritional status of the children is closely associated with their academic performances.