Abstract
Nutrients are critical for optimal brain development, and good nutritional status is associated with cognitive development and improvement. The relationship between micronutrients intake and cognition in Ghanaian school‐aged children has not been studied. The study investigated dietary intakes of micronutrients and cognition test performance of school‐aged children. A cross‐sectional study was undertaken among 438 school children, aged 9–13 years from ten randomly selected basic schools in Kumasi, Ghana. Socio‐demographic data were obtained from a structured questionnaire. Dietary intakes of iron, zinc, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin A were determined from repeated 24‐hr dietary recall data from 351 children, while cognition test was performed using a Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM), a 36‐question test. Among 351 children, 156 (44.4%) had inadequate zinc intake, whereas 96 (27.4%) had inadequate iron intake. More than 1 in 2 children had inadequate vitamin A intake while 55.8% and 53.0% had inadequate vitamin B12 and folate intakes, respectively. More school‐aged boys (66.3%) than girls (46.8%) had inadequate vitamin B12 intake (χ 2 = 13.393, p < .001), while for iron, folate, vitamin B6, zinc, and vitamin A, the differences were not significant. Mean RCPM test score differed significantly between school type (p < .001), but did not differ between the different ages, and between children with adequate and inadequate iron, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and vitamin A intakes, except for folate intake (p = .050). Weak positive significant associations were observed between RCPM test score and zinc and folate intakes (p = .050). Dietary micronutrient intakes were inadequate in majority of these children, which put them at risk of weakened immune system and poor health, but did not show significant associations with RCPM performance. Further studies using other forms of cognition tests may help confirm our findings, and provide the impetus for the necessary interventions.
Highlights
Proper brain function is a requirement for efficient cognitive function, and disruption of the brain reduces its efficiency (Bellisle, 2004)
The consumption of monotonous diets that are low in animal products and rich in phytates is the potential causes of deficiencies in iron, zinc, vitamin A, and vitamin B12 (Thankachan et al, 2013)
New estimates show that nearly 250 million children under 5 years from low‐ and middle‐income countries are at risk of not reaching their developmental potential, partly due to poor nutrition during pregnancy and the first 2 years of life (Black et al, 2017)
Summary
Proper brain function is a requirement for efficient cognitive function, and disruption of the brain reduces its efficiency (Bellisle, 2004). Poor nutritional status can adversely affect brain function and cognitive performance (Bellisle, 2004). Micronutrient deficiencies are common among many developing countries, among children, partly because of their higher physiological requirements and lower consumption of nutrient‐rich foods (Thankachan et al, 2013). New estimates show that nearly 250 million children under 5 years from low‐ and middle‐income countries are at risk of not reaching their developmental potential, partly due to poor nutrition during pregnancy and the first 2 years of life (Black et al, 2017). Poor micronutrients intake and nutrition in general, causing poor cognitive development, are among the reasons for many children not reaching their developmental potential (Figure 1)
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