Adherence to Dietary Recommendations Supports Canadian Children’s Academic Achievement
Publication: Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
23 March 2017
Abstract
Purpose: We aimed to determine if adherence to established Canadian, American, and WHO-developed nutrition recommendations supported children’s academic achievement.
Methods: Data from a health survey of 1595 grade 5 students in Alberta, Canada, was used. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Adherence to recommendations for food group servings, saturated fat intake, and free sugars intake was assessed. Survey data were linked to grade 6 standardized exam results. Multivariable mixed effects linear regression models were employed to assess the association between adherence to recommendations and academic achievement.
Results: Boys who met current recommendations for free sugars scored on average 5.67% better on exams (β: 5.67; 95% CI: 3.14, 8.29). Boys who met recommendations for milk and alternatives scored 3.45% better on exams (β: 3.45; 95% CI: 0.67, 6.23). Though results indicated that adhering to dietary recommendations was beneficial for girls’ academic achievement, no result was statistically significant.
Conclusions: Adherence to current dietary recommendations has benefits for children’s academic achievement. This evidence may be used to inform continued development and promotion of dietary recommendations and to support school-based nutrition initiatives.
Résumé
Objectif : L’étude visait à déterminer si l’adhésion aux recommandations sur la nutrition établies par le Canada, les États-Unis et l’OMS contribuait à la réussite scolaire des enfants.
Méthodes : Des données issues d’une enquête sur la santé regroupant 1595 élèves de 5e année de l’Alberta (Canada) ont été utilisées. L’apport alimentaire a été évalué à l’aide d’un questionnaire de fréquence alimentaire validé. L’adhésion aux recommandations relatives aux portions pour chaque groupe alimentaire, ainsi qu’aux apports en gras saturés et en sucres libres a été examinée. Les données de l’enquête ont été corrélées avec les résultats de l’examen normalisé de 6e année. Des modèles de régression linéaire multivariables à effets mixtes ont été utilisés pour évaluer l’association entre l’adhésion aux recommandations et la réussite scolaire.
Résultats : Les garçons qui respectaient les recommandations actuelles relatives aux sucres libres avaient en moyenne 5,67 % de plus à leur examen que les autres (β : 5,67; IC à 95 % : 3,14, 8,29). Les garçons qui respectaient les recommandations actuelles relatives au groupe Lait et substituts avaient 3,45 % de plus à leur examen que les autres (β : 3,45; IC à 95 % : 0,67, 6,23). Même si les résultats indiquaient que l’adhésion aux recommandations alimentaires était bénéfique à la réussite scolaire des filles, aucun de ces résultats n’était statistiquement significatif.
Conclusions : L’adhésion aux recommandations alimentaires actuelles est bénéfique à la réussite scolaire des enfants. Ces données probantes pourraient servir à guider l’amélioration continue et la promotion des recommandations alimentaires, ainsi qu’à appuyer les initiatives en nutrition dans le milieu scolaire.
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Financial support: This work was supported by a Collaborative Research and Innovation Opportunities (CRIO) Team program from Alberta Innovates—Health Solutions (AIHS) [201300671]. PJV is supported by a Canada Research Chair in Population Health and an Alberta Research Chair in Nutrition and Disease Prevention. E.L.F. was further supported by the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute through the generous support of the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation. The REAL Kids Alberta Evaluation is supported through a contract with Alberta Health. The contract with Alberta Health supported data collection but had no role in the design, analysis or writing of this article. These sources of funding did not have a role in the design, analysis or writing of this article.
Conflicts of interest: None of the authors have conflicts to declare.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
Volume 78 • Number 3 • September 2017
Pages: 102 - 108
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Version of record online: 23 March 2017
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© 2017.
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Erin L.FaughtBSc, GenevieveMontemurroMSc, Kate E.StoreyRD, PhD, and Paul J.VeugelersPhD. 2017. Adherence to Dietary Recommendations Supports Canadian Children’s Academic Achievement. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research.
78(3): 102-108. https://doi.org/10.3148/cjdpr-2017-008
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