Academic Performance In School Children Research Articles

Inhibitory control and academic achievement – a study of the relationship between Stroop Effect and university students’ academic performance

While previous research has identified executive functions as predictors of academic performance in school children, similar studies conducted among adults show mixed results. One of the reasons given for executive functions having a limited effect on academic achievements in adulthood is that they are usually fully developed by that time. Since these executive functions are at their peak at that age, the individual differences in these as well as their influence on academic performance in adults are harder to trace. The paper describes a study conducted among 107 university students the goal of which was to find out whether there is any relationship between the adult students’ inhibitory control values measured with the Stroop Test and their academic achievements. Although the results indicate a weak correlation between the Stroop Effect and the students’ academic performance of low statistical significance, which seems to confirm the outcomes of the previous studies focusing on adults, the study reveals an unexpected statistically significant correlation between the students’ grade averages and the number of their incorrect color identifications. This phenomenon appears to be worth pursuing in future research since it suggests the existence of another, relatively quickly measurable, variable possibly reflecting other predictors of academic performance in adults such as a degree of their manifested conscientiousness, their ability to concentrate on an assigned, relatively short, one-off task and their attitude to fulfilling this task. The Stroop Test, despite not being originally designed for this purpose, might thus be used as a simple tool suitable for providing information about these variables via the subject’s number of color identification errors. Such information can subsequently inform the activities that educators may include in their curricula to foster conscientiousness and concentration in the students lacking these.

School Feeding in N’Djamena – Chad: Characteristics of Sellers and Sales Framework

School feeding is a main feature of schools in every country around the world. This activity constitutes an essential nutritional source for the health, development and academic performance of schoolchildren. However, when hygiene rules are not respected during handling, the quality of the food offered is greatly compromised. The objective of this work was to define the main characteristics of the sellers, the types of food sold as well as the sales environment. From June 2021 to May 2022, twentytwo (22) schools in all categories (public and private) were targeted for the surveys. In total, 101 food sellers, 57 schoolchildren and 22 teachers were interviewed during the study period. The overall proportions of female sellers and married sellers were 90.10% and 61.39%, respectively (p < 0.001). Local Arabic was the language of communication for 73.27% of sellers. The vast majority of respondents (85.15%) had not received any training in good hygiene and manufacturing practices. The vast majority of respondents (85.15%) had not received any training in good hygiene and manufacturing practices. The most consumed foods were those prepared from cereals (36%) and fruits (31%). Furthermore, 51.49% of sellers displayed their food in the open air and 47.52% displayed it under trees. The fact that the lack of training of sellers on good hygiene and manufacturing practices, and the exposure of food to the open air by the majority of sellers constitute dangers for consumers. In light of these worrying shortcomings, the corrective approach should integrate training and awareness raising for stakeholders in order to raise the level of understanding of the risks.

Study protocol for the ACTIVE SCHOOL study investigating two different strategies of physical activity to improve academic performance in Schoolchildren

BackgroundPrevious research has suggested that school-based physical activity (PA) interventions may have a positive impact on academic performance. However, existing literature on school-based interventions encompasses various forms of PA, spanning from vigorous intensity PA outside the academic classes to light intensity PA and movement integrated into academic learning tasks, and results on academic performance are inconclusive. ACTIVE SCHOOL will implement two different PA interventions for one school year and assess the effects on the pupils’ academic performance, with math performance as the primary outcome.Methods/designThe ACTIVE SCHOOL project consists of two phases: 1) Development phase and 2) Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT). In phase one, two interventions were developed in collaboration with school staff. The two interventions were tested in an 8-weeks feasibility study. In phase two, a RCT-study with three arms will be conducted in 9-10-year-old children for one school year. The RCT-study will be carried out in two intervention rounds during the school years 2023/2024 and 2024/2025. Schools will be randomized to one of two interventions or control;1) Run, Jump & Fun intervention (4 × 30 min/week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity; 2) Move & Learn intervention (4 × 30 min/week focusing on embodied learning in math and Danish lessons); or 3) a control condition, consisting of normal teaching practices. Outcome measures include academic performance, PA level, cognitive functions, cardiorespiratory fitness, anthropometry, well-being and school motivation (collected before, during and after the intervention period). A process evaluation will be conducted to assess implementation.DiscussionThe ACTIVE SCHOOL study will expand knowledge regarding the impact of PA on academic performance. The study will have the potential to significantly contribute to future research, as well as the scientific and educational debate on the best way to implement PA to support education and learning.Trial registrationThe study was registered on the 25th of October 2022 in ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05602948.

Effect of an Active Break Intervention on Attention, Concentration, Academic Performance, and Self-Concept in Compulsory Secondary Education.

(1) Background: Society's shift to a tech-focused era and has created a hyper-connected, sedentary lifestyle. The purpose of this study is to address two objectives: firstly, to describe and analyze the effects of an active breaks program associated with the learning of curricular content (CF-AB) on levels of attention, concentration, and academic performance (AP); secondly, to examine the relationship between intense physical activity (PA), attention, concentration, academic self-concept, basic psychological needs, and academic performance in schoolchildren who practice CF-ABs. (2) Method: A randomized controlled trial quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test study with a non-probabilistic sample included 313 secondary school students divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention, a curricular-focused academic break (CF-AB) (8 weeks, 5-10 min/session), is taken in the middle of the class and linked with the subject content. Measuring instruments: Attention Test D2, ad hoc test for the AP, self-concept AF5, Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale in General (BNSG-S), and the Global PA Questionnaire (GPAC.V2). (3) Results: Attention and concentration improved in both groups, with no significant differences. There were no significant differences in academic self-concept, but the intervention group showed higher scores in basic psychological needs. AP correlated positively with concentration, academic self-concept, and physical activity. A proportion of 20% of the variance of AP in spelling is explained by the regression model. Students who improved the most in AP practiced intense PA outside school, with good self-concept and satisfactory social relationships. Although concentration was related to AP, it did not explain the improvement. (4) Conclusion: CF-ABs may have a positive impact on attention and AP, with socioemotional factors and PA playing an important role in this effect. (5) Limitations and Future Research: The relationship between PA performed in class and AP should be considered with caution due to the multifactorial nature of AP. Future research should consider the number of sessions per week, the prolongation of the same during the school year, the intensity and duration of the activity, and the intervention type of active breaks. In addition, attention should be paid to possible incident factors in AP related to personal and social variables.

Impact of school eye care intervention on the academic performance of school children in Katsina State, Nigeria

This study aims to examine the impact of the Noor Dubai Foundation (NDF) School Eye Intervention on the academic performance of schoolchildren in Katsina State. The survey research design was utilised, and primary data was collected using a five-point Likert questionnaire on the beneficiaries. Both tables, graphs, and regression were used to analyse the data. The results reveal that 65.13% of the respondents indicated their vision had improved, 61.11% revealed their reading skills had improved, 64.32% revealed their communication skills had improved, and 64.71% showed their comprehension ability had improved after the eye intervention program. More so, 58.54% revealed their exam score performance had improved, and 59.29% indicated that their positions in the class had improved after receiving the NDF eye care intervention in the state. The analysis of the impact of the NDF programme reveals that eye treatment rather than eye screening improves pupils' performance. This implies that NDF school eye intervention has significantly improved students' academic performance after receiving eye treatment and eyeglasses. The policy implication is that poor eye health affects the realisation of schoolchildren's right to education. The government should emphasise partnering and collaborating with the NDF on eye care interventions for sustainable vision and quality education.

Physical activity and academic performance in students from same primary education school

Background and Study Aim. Recent researches has demonstrated the relationship between physical activity levels and academic performance in schoolchildren. Most of them have sampled students from different schools and cities. Sometimes academic performance was influenced by other factors such as the type of teaching, the teaching staff or, for example, the assessment system. This research has tried to associate the practice of out-of-school physical activity with academic performance in a group of students, with the peculiarity that they all belonged to same Elementary school. Material and Methods. 120 students (67 boys and 53 girls), aged between 8 and 12 years, participated in this study once their parents or guardians were informed about the characteristics of the study. Academic performance was calculated from the average grades provided by their teachers in the first term. Physical activity levels were calculated using the APALQ questionnaire, categorising students into two types: active or sedentary. In the presence of a normal distribution, the difference between groups was obtained using Chi-Square and Student's t-test. In those cases where the distribution was not normal, comparison was carried out using the Mann Withney U. Results. The analysis of results showed that active students obtained significantly higher grades than sedentary students (8.15±1.17 vs. 7.35±1.15; p=0.042). This circumstance is maintained when analysing the results according to the students' gender, although it is only significant in the case of girls (8.08±1.22 vs 7.03±0.87; p=0.036). Conclusions. The practice of physical activity during non-school hours had a positive influence on the academic performance of the students analysed, even though they were from the same school.

Emotional intelligence, spelling performance and intelligence quotient differences based on the executive function profile of schoolchildren.

The aim of this study was to determine the correlation of intelligence quotient with spelling performance, executive functions and emotional intelligence and to analyse the profiles in executive functions presented by the participants and the differences at the level of intelligence quotient, spelling performance and emotional intelligence. The sample consisted of 125 Spanish primary school students (58 girls and 67 boys) in a rural environment, with a mean age of 10.92 (±.68)years. Intelligence quotient and spelling performance were measured using the BADyG test; executive functions were assessed using the NIH EXAMINER battery and emotional intelligence was assessed using the Bar-On questionnaire. The results show a high correlation of intelligence quotient with spelling performance, executive functions and two emotional intelligence dimensions (adaptability and interpersonal). Two clusters were observed: a high executive functions profile (n = 74, 59.7%), with high scores on all measured variables (working memory, planning, cognitive flexibility, inhibition and verbal fluency), and a low executive functions profile (n = 50, 40.3%) with low scores on all executive functions-related variables. The multivariate analysis of variance (MANCOVA) found variations between the different clusters in the intelligence quotient, spelling performance and interpersonal emotional intelligence variables, showing that students with a higher executive functions profile had a higher intelligence quotient, spelling performance and interpersonal emotional intelligence values. This study could help to better define what kind of teaching methodology favours the development of academic performance in schoolchildren and the connections between important educational aspects such as emotional intelligence and executive functions.

Food Fortification of Instant Pulse Porridge Powder with Improved Iron and Zinc Bioaccessibility Using Roselle Calyx.

Undernutrition and mineral deficiencies negatively impact both the health and academic performance of school children, while diets high in phytic acid and some phenolics inhibit the absorption of minerals such as iron and zinc. This study developed instant porridge powders rich in iron and zinc using pregelatinized chickpea flour (PCPF) and pregelatinized foxtail millet flour (PFMF) and assessed the potential of utilizing roselle calyx powder (RCP) as a source of organic acids to enhance its iron and zinc bioaccessibility. Physical properties, nutrients, mineral inhibitors and in vitro iron and zinc bioaccessibility of different proportions of PCPF, PFMF and RCP in instant porridge powders were evaluated. Three instant porridge powder formulations including instant chickpea powder (ICP) using PCPF, instant composite flour (ICF) using PCPF and PFMF and instant pulse porridge powder (IPP) using PCPF, PFMF and RCP were developed. Results show that all instant porridge powders were accepted by sensory evaluation, while different ingredients impacted color, consistency and the viscosity index. Addition of RCP improved the bioaccessibility of iron (1.3–1.6-fold) and zinc (1.3–1.9-fold). A 70 g serving of these instant porridge powders substantially contributed to daily protein, iron and zinc requirement for children aged 7–9 years. These porridge powders hold potential to serve as school meals for young children in low-to-middle income countries.

Evidence of reduced academic performance among schoolchildren with helminth infection.

BackgroundSoil-transmitted helminths (STHs) pose a formidable health risk to school-age children in resource-limited settings. Unfortunately, mass deworming campaigns have been derailed since the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The present study assessed the cross-sectional associations between STHs, nutritional status and academic performance of schoolchildren in the Banda District of Ghana.MethodsSchoolchildren (5–16 y of age; n=275) were recruited through both school and household visits by community health workers using a multistage cluster sampling technique. In addition to school microscopy, anthropometric records were also taken.ResultsThe prevalence of geohelminthiasis was 40.4% (95% confidence interval 34.6 to 46.2). STHs targeted for elimination by the World Health Organization and national programmes were detected among schoolchildren. Children with intestinal parasite infection (53.7 [standard deviation {SD} 11.5]) had lower mean academic scores compared with uninfected children (59.6 [SD 16.9]) (p=0.034). In multiple regression analysis, intestinal parasite infection status and z-scores for weight-for-age showed a collective significant effect on the academic score (F1117=8.169, p<0.001, R2=0.125).ConclusionsSchoolchildren with STHs had poorer academic performance compared with uninfected children, despite their nutritional status. In addition to school feeding programmes, school-based mass drug administration campaigns may be critical for improving learning outcomes in young schoolchildren.

Impact of malnutrition on the academic performance of school children in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective:This study aimed to identify the impact of malnutrition on the academic performance of children in Ethiopia.Method:The protocol of this study is registered in PROSPERO with a registration number CRD42021242269. A comprehensive search of studies from HINARY, MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, Cochrane Library, SCOPUS, Google Scholar, and Google was conducted. All published and unpublished studies conducted about the effect of any forms of malnutrition on academic performance of elementary school children in Ethiopia using the English language were included. Quality of the articles was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool. The pooled log odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was determined to identify the effect of malnutrition on academic performance. I-square statistics was applied to check the degree of heterogeneity between studies. The presence of publication or small study bias had been assessed by Funnel plots, Egger’s weighted regression test, and Begg’s rank correlation test.Result:A total of 10 studies were included in this study. The pooled prevalence of good academic performance among elementary school students in Ethiopia was 58% (95% confidence interval: 48%, 69%). Stunting (odds ratio = 0.48; 95% confidence interval: 0.30, 0.79), underweight (odds ratio = 0.38; 95% confidence interval: 0.27, 0.53), and iodine deficiency (odds ratio = 0.49; 95% confidence interval: 0.31, 0.78) had a significant association with the academic performance. Rural residence (odds ratio = 0.61; 95% confidence interval: 0.44, 0.83), being female (odds ratio = 0.53; 95% confidence interval: 0.37, 0.77), and uneducated parent (odds ratio = 0.51; 95% confidence interval: 0.44, 0.58) were also factors associated with good academic performance of primary school children in Ethiopia.Conclusion:This study concluded that malnutrition in the form of stunting, underweight, and iodine deficiency affected the academic performance of elementary school children in Ethiopia. So, the Ministry of Health worked better to strengthen the nutrition intervention at the critical periods of brain development.

Successes and challenges of the Home-grown School Feeding Program in Sidama Region, Southern Ethiopia: a qualitative study.

The Home-grown School Feeding Program (HG-SFP) is a model designed to provide school meals to students using foods sourced from local markets. HG-SFP recently has been incorporated as one of the strategies of educational development in Ethiopia aiming to address hunger and food insecurity problems of school children. Yet, evaluation of the successes and challenges of the program has been limited evaluated. The purpose of the present study was to explore the successes and challenges of the SFP in Sidama Region, Southern Ethiopia. This exploratory qualitative study collected data from eight schools targeted for HG-SFP through key informant interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs). A total of sixteen FGDs and twenty-one in-depth interviews were conducted. Purposive sampling was used to include study participants based on their potential relevance in delivering in-depth information. The findings of the present study showed that HG-SFP was successful in improving class attendance and academic performance of school children. In addition, the program had a contribution in saving the parents' money and time as a result of the food provided. With regard to SFP challenges, lack of permanent clean water provision, delay in ration delivery, poor-quality food provision, inadequate amount of food allocated for the academic year, lack of necessary infrastructure for the program, and lack of training in sanitation and hygiene for cooks were among the major challenges identified. Therefore, program challenges need high-level attention in order to make the school feeding program more successful in Sidama Region, Ethiopia.

Effectiveness of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Intervention for School going Children on Hygiene Practices, Absenteeism, Diarrhea, and Respiratory Infection: An Interventional Study Protocol

Introduction: Safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene beyond the household, and particularly in the school setting, are crucial to the health and education of children. Ashram schools where children from tribal community are taking education in India are mostly ignored. Thus, inclusion of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in schools as part of the SDG, necessitates assessing the coverage and utilization in all types of schools; Government, private, funded including Ashram (residential) schools. Hence, we plan this research to study the effectiveness of proposed WASH in Ashram school with regards to hygiene practices, diarrheal diseases, respiratory infection and school absenteeism.&#x0D; Methods: Interventional study will be conducted in all eight Ashram schools of Wardha district. Baseline data regarding WASH practices and absenteeism, diarrhea, and respiratory infection will be collected. Intervention model for adopting safe WASH practices will be developed implemented in randomly selected four ashram schools. Survey and interview questionnaire will be adopted from UNICEF monitoring package modules. Children of forth, fifth and sixth classes (460), teachers, and Principles(8) will be interviewed; and school environment will be reviewed. After collection of post intervention data in ODK tool, descriptive statistics, two-sample t-tests and unadjusted mean percentages for all outcome variables were calculated by aggregating individual-level data to the school level.&#x0D; Conclusion: The intervention package is based on community mobilization and participation; life skill education, capacity building of school staff related to WASH. This will contribute to bring long term changes and improvement in health status and academic performance of school children.

Social Media Addiction and Personality: A Review of Research

Social networks are taking up more and more place in the daily life of modern people, becoming an integral part of our existence. At the same time, the role of social networks is constantly growing along with the rapid growth in the number of their active users. As online interaction for many has become more used than face-to-face communication, social networks have begun to seriously affect the way of life, communication, interests and psychology of people. The use of social networks is growing exponentially and has covered more than a third of the worlds population; therefore, researchers from different countries are actively studying social networks. Considerable empirical data has been accumulated that requires generalization and understanding, which is the purpose of this review. We found positive links between social media addiction and depression, anxiety, stress, neuroticism, emotional problems, low self-esteem, cyber-victimization, physical health problems, mental disorders, loneliness, procrastination, smartphone and internet addiction, and infidelity in relationships. Negative links were revealed between social media addiction and life satisfaction, academic performance of schoolchildren and students, labor productivity and commitment to the organization of its employees, social capital, and age. The main reason for social media addiction is the need for communication, and women are generally more active in social networks than men. This review provides only those links of social media addiction that have been established in a number of studies conducted in different countries. The presented results were obtained abroad using foreign language questionnaires that determine social media addiction. The lack of such a reliable and valid tool among Russian-speaking psychologists has become a serious factor hindering the conduct of similar domestic research. With this in view, the author developed a specially designed social media addiction questionnaire.

Relative Performance of Machine Learning and Linear Regression in Predicting Quality of Life and Academic Performance of School Children in Norway: Data Analysis of a Quasi-Experimental Study.

BackgroundMachine learning techniques are increasingly being applied in health research. It is not clear how useful these approaches are for modeling continuous outcomes. Child quality of life is associated with parental socioeconomic status and physical activity and may be associated with aerobic fitness and strength. It is unclear whether diet or academic performance is associated with quality of life.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to compare the predictive performance of machine learning techniques with that of linear regression in examining the extent to which continuous outcomes (physical activity, aerobic fitness, muscular strength, diet, and parental education) are predictive of academic performance and quality of life and whether academic performance and quality of life are associated.MethodsWe modeled data from children attending 9 schools in a quasi-experimental study. We split data randomly into training and validation sets. Curvilinear, nonlinear, and heteroscedastic variables were simulated to examine the performance of machine learning techniques compared to that of linear models, with and without imputation.ResultsWe included data for 1711 children. Regression models explained 24% of academic performance variance in the real complete-case validation set, and up to 15% in quality of life. While machine learning techniques explained high proportions of variance in training sets, in validation, machine learning techniques explained approximately 0% of academic performance and 3% to 8% of quality of life. With imputation, machine learning techniques improved to 15% for academic performance. Machine learning outperformed regression for simulated nonlinear and heteroscedastic variables. The best predictors of academic performance in adjusted models were the child’s mother having a master-level education (P<.001; β=1.98, 95% CI 0.25 to 3.71), increased television and computer use (P=.03; β=1.19, 95% CI 0.25 to 3.71), and dichotomized self-reported exercise (P=.001; β=2.47, 95% CI 1.08 to 3.87). For quality of life, self-reported exercise (P<.001; β=1.09, 95% CI 0.53 to 1.66) and increased television and computer use (P=.002; β=−0.95, 95% CI −1.55 to −0.36) were the best predictors. Adjusted academic performance was associated with quality of life (P=.02; β=0.12, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.22).ConclusionsLinear regression was less prone to overfitting and outperformed commonly used machine learning techniques. Imputation improved the performance of machine learning, but not sufficiently to outperform regression. Machine learning techniques outperformed linear regression for modeling nonlinear and heteroscedastic relationships and may be of use in such cases. Regression with splines performed almost as well in nonlinear modeling. Lifestyle variables, including physical exercise, television and computer use, and parental education are predictive of academic performance or quality of life. Academic performance is associated with quality of life after adjusting for lifestyle variables and may offer another promising intervention target to improve quality of life in children.

Effects of Physically Active Lessons on Movement Behaviors, Cognitive, and Academic Performance in Elementary Schoolchildren: ERGUER/Aracaju Project.

To evaluate the effects of the introduction of physically active lessons on movement behaviors, cognitive, and academic performance in schoolchildren. This was a cluster-controlled trial. A total of 61 students from the second year of elementary school in a public school in Brazil made up 2 intervention classes (n = 34) with the introduction of physically active lessons and 2 control classes (n = 27). Sedentary behavior, physical activity, cognitive, and academic performance were evaluated in 3 moments, which were compared using models of generalized estimating equations. The intervention was effective for reducing the standing time between the baseline and 3months while increasing the walking time between baseline and 3months and baseline and 9months. There was a reduction in time in stationary activities and increased time in light physical activities between all moments. The intervention group increased their performance in the go/no go test, showing a smaller number of errors between the baseline and 3months and baseline and 9months, and a reduction in the test time between baseline and 3months. No impact on students' academic performance was observed. Physically active lessons improve movement behaviors and cognitive functions among elementary schoolchildren.

Factors influencing personal hygiene among primary schoolchildren in western Côte d'Ivoire

AbstractPersonal hygiene has an impact on the health, quality of life and academic performance of schoolchildren. The factors associated with it can be complex. We carried out our analysis based on a database on hookworms in schoolchildren in Côte d'Ivoire. This is a cross-sectional retrospective study, on 2,035 schoolchildren recruited from 30 schools in the western region of Côte d'Ivoire. The predictors of good personal hygiene for schoolchildren were the existence of a good level of sanitation at home (OR = 1.62; 95% CI = 1.24–2.13) and a primary school education as the minimum level of education for the father (OR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.12–1.96). In contrast, students below the age of ten attending poor sanitary establishments are more likely to have poor personal hygiene (OR = 0.40; 95% CI = 0.22–0.73); therefore, it becomes necessary to provide good basic environmental sanitation for families and schools.

Influence of Vision on Educational Performance: A Multivariate Analysis

(1) Background: According to the World Report on Vision published by WHO, 123.7 million people around the world have vision impairment due to uncorrected refractive errors. Vision impairment affects many aspects of our lives, and it is related to low academic performance; (2) Methods: A prospective and multicenter study has been carried out in 1400 optical centers in Spain. A visual screening was carried out by optometrists on children aged between 6 and 12; (3) Results: 6673 children of primary school have been checked. The multivariate analysis reveals that 5.2% of the poor academic performance is related to vision. Poor academic performance was independent and significantly affected by sex, age, near vision, hyperopia, binocular dysfunctions, and bad ocular motility; (4) Conclusions: Vision plays a key role in optimum academic performance; consequently, the early detection of refractive errors and other visual problems is essential to improve the academic performance of schoolchildren.

Differential effects of changes in cardiorespiratory fitness on worst- and best- school subjects

Accumulating evidence shows a beneficial association between physical fitness and school children’s academic performance. However, several other studies have failed to demonstrate such an association. We reanalyzed data of a two-year longitudinal study of the association between changes in cardiorespiratory fitness and academic performance of school children by focusing on intra-individual variability in grade points as a possible source of this discrepancy. We analyzed data from 469 junior high school students to examine if improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness had a differential effect on an individual student’s worst and best grade points. Results indicated that improvements in physical fitness were associated with an improvement in the worst grade points. On the contrary, we did not observe a similar longitudinal association with the best grade points. These findings suggest that improving cardiorespiratory fitness improves the worst grade points of an individual, selectively. We suggest that intra-individual variability in grade points might moderate the association between physical fitness and academic performance changes.

The effect of school feeding programme on class absenteeism and academic performance of schoolchildren in Southern Ethiopia: a prospective cohort study.

Ethiopia recently scaled up the implementation of a school feeding programme (SFP). Yet, evidence on the impact of such programmes on academic outcomes remains inconclusive. We evaluated the effect of the SFP on class absenteeism and academic performance of primary school students (grade 5-8) in Sidama zone, Southern Ethiopia. This prospective cohort study enrolled SFP-beneficiary (n 240) and non-beneficiary (n 240) children 10-14 years of age from sixteen public schools and followed them for an academic year. School absenteeism was measured as the number of days children were absent from school in the year. Academic performance was defined based on the average academic score of the students for ten subjects they attended in the year. Data were analysed using multivariable mixed effects negative binomial and linear regression models. Food insecure districts in Sidama zone, Southern Ethiopia. SFP-beneficiary and non-beneficiary children 10-14 years of age. The mean (sd) number of days children were absent from school was 4·0 (sd 1·5) and 9·3 (sd 6·0), among SFP beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries, respectively. Students not covered by the SFP were two times more likely to miss classes (adjusted rate ratio = 2·30; 95 % CI 2·03, 2·61). Pertaining to academic performance, a significant but small 2·40 (95 % CI 0·69, 4·12) percentage point mean difference was observed in favour of SFP beneficiaries. Likewise, the risk of school dropout was six times higher among non-beneficiaries (adjusted rate ratio = 6·04; 95 % CI 1·61, 22·68). SFP promotes multiple academic outcomes among socio-economically disadvantaged children.

Impact of type 1 diabetes mellitus on the academic performance of diabetic school children in Khartoum, Sudan.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is the most common endocrine disorder in children. The glycated haemoglobin (HbA1C) level was found to be correlated with the academic skills and classroom attention in children with T1DM. This study aimed to assess the impact of T1DM status and control on the academic performance of school children. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among diabetic children attending two secondary care hospitals in Khartoum, Sudan. We applied the total coverage sampling method to include all T1DM patients who presented in the period from July to October 2016. A total of 122 T1DM children aged 6-18 years, who were registered as formal school students were included. Most of the participants (63.1%) had HbA1C levels more than 9.5% and near half of them (47.5%) had chronic T1DM-related complications. Academic performance was negatively correlated with higher HbA1C levels (rs = -0.192, p > 0.001) and longer duration of the illness (rs = -.362, p = 0.034). However, academic scores did not differ significantly between diabetic children with chronic complications and those without chronic complications (χ 2 = 8.01, p = 0.091). This study showed that T1DM influenced the academic performance of school children.