The Link between Nutrition, Physical Activity and

1
The Link between Nutrition, Physical Activity and
Academic Achievement
Sigrid Quendler Vienna University, Austria,
Europe for ILSI Center for Health Promotion,
Atlanta, 2002
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Background

• Early Greek and Hebrew philosophers adopted a
  dualistic perspective and viewed the mind and the
  body as two distinct entities
• Piaget (1936) was one of the first who suggested
  that motor development is important for
  intellectual development in children
• Kephart (1960) suggested that children who have
  learning disabilities may be suffering from
  perceptual-motor problems
• Kirkendall (1986) suggested, that an individual
  functions as a whole within the environment and
  thus must be treated accordingly
• Jørgens, Perko, Hanel, Schroeder, Secher (1992)
  confirmed that moderate-to-high intensities of
  exercise shows a large increase in cerebral blood
  flow which benefits cognitive functioning

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The Link between Nutrition, PA and AA

• Breakfast and Academic Achievement (AA)
• Hunger and Behavioral Problems
• Undernourishment and Health Risks
• Lack of PA and Low Self-Esteem
• Obesity, Health Risks and Low Self-Esteem

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Breakfast and AA

• 10 of students at the elementary level
• 25 in middle school
• 30 of high school students start school without
  breakfast
• omitting breakfast interferes with cognition and
  learning

Hunger and Behavioral Problems

• 4 million American children experience prolonged
  periodic food insufficiency and hunger each year
• Representing 8 of the children under the age of
  12
• Virtually all-behavioral, emotional and academic
  problems were more prevalent in hungry children

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Undernourishment and Health Risks

• Chronically undernourished children attain lower
  scores on standardized achievement tests
• They have difficulty resisting infection and are
  more likely to become sick, miss school, and fall
  behind in class
• They are irritable and have difficulty
  concentrating
• They have low energy, which can limit their PA

Lack of PA and Low Self-Esteem

• Studies show the positive effects of PA programs
  on physical fitness and school performance
• PA is consistently related to higher levels of
  self-esteem and lower levels of anxiety and stress

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Obesity, Health Risks and Low Self-Esteem

• The prevalence of overweight among young people
  ages 6-17 has more than doubled in the past 20
  years (in the United States)
• Over 4.7 million (11) of these youths are
  seriously overweight
• Overweight causes low self-esteem, which may lead
  to depression followed by gluttony
• Increases risks of Type 2 Diabetes,
  cardiovascular diseases and premature death

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Methods of Literature Search

• Search Engines
• Medline
• Pubmed
• Galileo (EBSCOhost, ERIC)
• Emory University
• Cross-referencing
• (Yahoo)

Keywords Nutrition, Dietetics Physical Activity,
Education, Sport Academic Performance,
Achievement, Learning Children,
School Supplementation, Vitamin-Mineral
Supplements
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Resources and Approach
Relevant Literature

• 12 published research studies about the Link
  between Nutrition and AA
• 9 published research studies about the Link
  between PA and AA

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Types of Key Studies?

• 12 Longitudinal Studies
• 4 Observational Studies
• 5 Cohort Studies

• 8 about Nutrition and AA (4 Long-/ 4 Short-Term)
• 4 about PA and AA (3 Long-/ 1 Short-Term)

• 1 about Nutrition and AA
• 3 about PA and AA

• 3 about Nutrition and AA
• 2 about PA and AA

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Topics of Studies
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Age of Subjects in the Studies
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Nutrition and AA
Major and General Findings
Poor nutrition hampers AA

• Malnutrition affect intelligence and academic
  performance
• Students with low amount of protein in their diet
  have the lowest achievement scores
• Iron deficiency anemia leads to shortened
  attention span, irritability, fatigue, and
  difficulty with concentration
• Six- to eleven-year-old children from
  food-insufficient families had significantly
  lower arithmetic scores
• Even moderate under-nutrition can have lasting
  effects and compromise cognitive development and
  school performance
• Morning fasting has a negative effect on
  cognitive performance, even among healthy,
  well-nourished children

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Proper nutrition enhances academic performance
Participation in a SBP

• Relieves hunger and improves childrens ability
  to succeed at school
• Increases intake of food energy, calcium,
  phosphorous, and vitamin C
• Improves school performance and reduces
  absenteeism and tardiness
• Improves academic, behavioral, and emotional
  functioning
• Leads to increased math grades
• Strengthens childrens psychosocial outcomes,
  lowering anxiety, hyperactivity, depression and
  psychosocial dysfunction
• Raises scores on basic skills tests
• Parents report improved interest in school,
  greater concentration, and improved scholastic
  performance

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The Difference between well-nourished and
malnourished children during SBP
Well-nourished children
Mal-nourished children

• who skipped breakfast experience a negative
  effect on certain cognitive tests, problem
  solving and memory
• demonstrate improved scholastic performance
• Teachers report improved scholastic performance

• who skipped breakfast experience a negative
  effect on certain cognitive tests, arithmetic and
  verbal fluency

• The positive effects of breakfast on cognition
  are not universal and require further studies

• School environment and lifestyle factors can also
  enhance a childs capacity to learn

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PA and AA
The General and Major Findings
Increased PA leads to higher AA

• Increased PA leads to increased test scores
• Intense PA programs have positive effects on AA,
  including increased concentration, improved
  mathematics, reading, and writing test scores and
  reduced disruptive behavior.
• AA improves even when the physical education
  reduces the time for academics
• Aerobic conditioning may help to improve memory
• Exercise may strengthen particular areas of the
  brain, and oxygen intake during exercise may
  enhance greater connections between neurons

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Improved classroom behavior in schools
participating in PA

• Teachers report improved students attentiveness
  and concentration
• Teachers report improved academic performance
• Parents report improved interest in school,
  greater concentration, and improved scholastic
  performance

Classroom mood and ambience is enhanced when
children participate in PA

• Teachers report that students participating in PA
  are calmer in class and more energetic to learn
• Several review articles authored by experts in
  the field underscore the value of PA and the
  effect of activity and cognition

• School environment and lifestyle factors can also
  enhance a childs capacity to learn

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Nutrition and AA
Summary of tables of selected nutrition programs
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(No Transcript)
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PA and AA
Summary of tables a few selected PA programs
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(No Transcript)
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Conclusions
Nutrition and PA Teachers and parents
report that students participating in SBP and PA
are A positive relationship persists between
nutrition and AA or/and PA and AA!!

• Improve school performance
• Classroom behavior
• Reduce absenteeism and tardiness
• Strengthen childrens psychosocial outcomes
• Lowers anxiety, hyperactivity, depression, and
  psychosocial dysfunction

• Calmer in class
• More energetic and focused when studying

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Future Research

• Effects of micronutrient on development of
  childrens intelligence
• Effects of nutrient/micronutrient deficiency on
  childrens intelligence
• Effects of nutrient deficiency on childrens
  intention to be physically active
• The intimate mechanisms whereby physical exercise
  can influence academic performance
• Effects of PA on AA of well-trained and untrained
  children
• PA in toddlers and the effects on later AA
• Differences between (micro)nutrients from
  supplements vs. food sources in human metabolism

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I want to return thanks to Debbie Kibbe who took
the time to show me the everyday life in a Public
Health Organization, David Dennison who
proof-read this project, Asha Mulchan-Onofri and
Kim Fontenot who helped me with the numerous
problems I had with the computer, and everyone
else on the ILSI staff who helped to make my
internship as fantastic as it was in the
end! Thank You all very much!!
Thank You for Your Attention!!!