Influence of nutrition and socioeconomic status on intellectual development in school children

Abstract

Background: The nutritional adequacy is one of the determinants of quality of human resources everywhere. Malnutrition is the root cause for the death of 6 million children each year in developing countries. Nutritional deficiency is correlated with an increased risk of impaired cognitive function in children. Aims and Objective: To assess the role of nutrition and socioeconomic status on the development of IQ in school children. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study was carried out in 200 primary school children aged 5–9 years of both the sexes. The children were grouped into five nutritional grades. The IQ was calculated using Kamat’s psychological tests for all the children. Results: The degree of malnutrition shows a definite reduction in IQ development, which is statistically significant. The study showed that declined socioeconomic status further decreases the development of IQ in school children. Conclusion: The study concluded that the nutritional status and the socioeconomic status significantly decline the mental and physical growth of children.