Evaluating the Effect of Nutrition Education and Dietary Modification on the Health Status of Kindergarten Children in Dacanlao Gregorio Agoncillo Elementary School

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

In school, children need to be given all the opportunities to learn in order to acquire skills and abilities to fully develop their potentials. Good health and proper nutrition give children a greater ability to learn and do more, thereby enhancing their physical, intellectual, social, emotional and moral development. Nutritionally at-risk children are already handicapped in terms of learning abilities and even opportunities. This study aims to assess the effect of comprehensive nutrition education and dietary modification on the health and nutritional status of severely wasted and wasted kindergarten in Dacanlao G. Agoncillo Elementary School.

METHODS

This study utilized the mixed method of quantitative and qualitative research where anthropometric measurements before and after the intervention were gathered as well as interview and focused-group discussion was done. This prospective case-control study was executed on 91 kindergarten children with severely wasted and wasted nutritional status. After anthropometrically segregating the Kindergarten children from the normative to those who are wasted and severely wasted, the first primary data including socio-demographic, clinical and dietary assessments were noted using observation and interview method. Later, nutrition education and dietary modification workshopsS once a month were intervened as well as enrollment of pupils to the school-wide feeding program for 3 months. After three months of follow-up, the second primary data were obtained and compared withthe initial findings. Obtained results were statistically analyzed using the paired t-test.

RESULTS

After analyzing the results, the number of wasted and severely wasted pupils taking optimal nutritional intake decreased by 60% after the trial period of three months. There was a significant increase in the anthropometric status of the pupils particularly in height noted.

DISCUSSIONS

This concludes that optimal dietary changes incorporated with rigorous nutrition education showed the improved health status of the kindergarten children in comparison to the controls which can further up-regulate their growth and development. Providing nutrition education to students at a young age would be beneficial for improving their nutritional status for lifelong learning.