Abstract
Nutrition is a fundamental part of human life and good nutrition is essential for survival,
physical growth, mental development, health and well-being. The aim of the present
study was to determine the relationship between Nutritional Status and Academic
performance of Primary School Children in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. School children
from Primary three to six were used for the study and were from three randomly selected
Primary Schools within Zaria and its environs in Kaduna State. A total of 759 pupils
made up of 385 girls and 374 boys were assessed. Ethical clearance was obtained from
Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria and Self administered questionnaires
were used which were completed by the parents or guardians of these children. Body
anthropometrics such as height, weight, hip, waist, chest circumferences were measured
using stadiometer and measuring tape from which BMI was calculated. The Nutritional
status of the children were determined using the Centre for Disease Control (CDC)
standard for BMI percentile, while the academic performance of the children were
determined by finding the mean of the 5 subjects taken during their term examination.
When a Childs BMI is less than 5th percentile is said to be Under weight , 5th percentile to
less than 85th is said to be healthy weight, 85th to less than 95th percentile is said to be
overweight, equal or greater than 95th percentile is said to be obese. The result of the
present study showed that Overweight children performed better academically when
compared to others with a mean academic score of 66.19±17.00, Underweight was
observed to be more prevalent amongst the males than the females, while on the other
hand, Overweight was more prominent in females than males. There was no statistical
significant difference between the Nutritional status and Academic performance of the
Primary School Children studied. The total number of children that were Underweight
was 140 (71 males and 69 females) while a total number of 38 children were Overweight
(12males and 26 females). Children whose parents attained tertiary education performed better academically than others. From the present study children whose parents are Civil
servants performed better academically than others. This study also showed that a total
number of 37 Children had a Heavy birth weight and tends to perform better academically
than others while Children born in dry season perform better academically than children
born in rainy season. Conclusively, this study showed that a high percentage of the
population have Healthy weight, while only a small proportion was Obese. This could be
a result of in balance in the food intake of the population and from the result the total
number of children that were Overweight performed better academically than the Others
which could mean that the children that were well fed and well nourished tend to do
better academically than those that are not well fed and nourished.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover Page - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - i
Fly leaf - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ii
Title Page - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - iii
Declaration - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - iv
Certification - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - v
Dedication - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - vi
Acknowledgment - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - vii
Table of Contents - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - viii
List of Tables - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - xii
List of Figures - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - xiii
Abstract - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - xiv
CHAPTER ONE
10 Introduction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1
11 Background of the Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1
12 Statement of Research Problem - - - - - - - - - - - - 3
13 Justification - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4
14 Aims and Objectives - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4
141 Aim of the Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4
142 Objectives of the Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5
15 Significance - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5
16 Study Hypothesis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6
17 Definition of Terms - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6
CHAPTER TWO
20 Literature Review - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7
21 Factors Influencing Academic Achievement - - - - - - - - - 7
211 Home related factors - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8
212 School related factors - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12
213 Pupils characteristics - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 13
214 Teachers side factors - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 18
22 Influence of Parents Level of Education - - - - - - - - - -
21
23 Level of Family Income - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 23
24 Parents Marital Status - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 25
25 Nutrition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 26
251 Breastfeeding versus Bottle-Feeding - - - - - - - - - - 26
252 Nutrition in Childhood and Adolescence - - - - - - - - - 28
253 Malnutrition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 29
254 Obesity - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 30
255 Infectious Disease - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 35
256 Infectious Disease and Malnutrition - - - - - - - - - - 35
257 Immunization - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 36
CHAPTER THREE
30 Materials and Methods - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 38
31 Research Participants - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 38
32 Study Area - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 38
321 Kaduna State - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 38
322 Zaria - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 38
323 Drainage - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 41
324 The climate of Zaria - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 41
33 Methodology - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 42
34 Data Collection Technique - - - - - - - - - - - - - 43
35 Sampling Size Determination - - - - - - - - - - - - 43
36 Anthropometry - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 44
37 Birth weight (kg) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 46
38 Academic Performance - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 46
39 Nutritional Status - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 47
310 Social Status - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 47
311 Ethical Approval - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 47
312 Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria - - - - - - - - - - - 47
3121 Inclusion Criteria - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 47
3122 Exclusion Criteria - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 48
313 Statistical Analysis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 48
CHAPTER FOUR
40 RESULTS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 49
41 Analysis of Study Population - - - - - - - - - - - - - 49
42 Nutritional Status and Anthropometric Variable - - - - - - - - 49
43 Parents Socio economic Status - - - - - - - - - - - - 53
44 Sex Variation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 61
45 Nutritional Assessment - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 61
46 Birth weight, Season of Birth and Academic Performance - - - - - 65
47 Correlations of Anthropometric Variables - - - - - - - - - 69
48 Multiiple Regression Model - - - - - - - - - - - - - 69
CHAPTER FIVE
50 Discussion - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 72
CHAPTER SIX
60 Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations - - - - - - - - 79
61 Summary - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 79
62 Conclusion - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 80
63 Recommendations - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 82
64 Contribution to Knowledge - - - - - - - - - - - - - 83
REFERENCES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 84
APPENDIX - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 105
