Nutritional Status and Academic Performance of Grade 7 Students

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Nutrition is a fundamental pillar of human life, health, and development across the entire lifespan. From the earliest stages of fetal development, at birth, through infancy, childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood and old age, proper food and good nutrition are essential for survival, physical growth, mental development, performance and productivity, health, and well-being. This study determined the significant relationship between the level of nutritional status and academic performance of Grade VII students in Mathematics.

METHODS

It utilized the descriptive -correlational research design. Frequency and percentage distribution were used to depict the level of nutritional status and academic performance of the students of San Roque National High School. Spearman rho correlation was used to test the significant relationship between the two variables used.

RESULTS

Nutritional status of students was at a normal level, however; their academic performance is in approaching proficiency level. The study also showed that nutritional status and academic performance in Math generated positive but high correlation; implying that nutritional status influences the level of academic performance of the students. The study further attests that nutritional status may hinder a child`s ability to learn; academic performance of students in the school was greatly affected. Health and education are essential to formulating new possible policy interventions targeted at the improvement of children's status in developing countries. The importance of nutrition and schooling in developing countries the analysis presented in this work makes progress in sorting out such a causal relationship. Furthermore, investments in health are expected to have positive effects on education since the returns from investment in education last for many periods and health status is positively correlated with life expectancy.

DISCUSSIONS

The development of any nation or community depends largely on the quality of education of such a nation. Understanding the nature of the causal relationship between health and education is important to determine the exact relationship between them. Health and nutrition influence educational achievement, but poor health and malnutrition in early childhood may affect cognitive abilities. School authority should take a look with the performance of the learners and has to have thorough observation and analysis with its impact in relation to their physical status.