A Cross-Sectional Study of the Relationship Between Dietary Micronutrient Intake, Cognition and Academic Performance Among School-Aged Children in Taabo, Côte d’Ivoire
Abstract
Background: Adequate nutrient intake is crucial for cognitive development and academic performance in schoolchildren. This study assessed the association between dietary intake and both cognition and academic performance in school-aged children from Taabo, Côte d’Ivoire. Methods: A total of 252 schoolchildren aged 6–12 years were randomly selected from seven public primary schools. Dietary intake was assessed using repeated 24 h recalls. Cognitive skills were evaluated using Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM) and academic performance was determined based on end-of-year school results. Results: More than half of the participants had adequate intakes of vitamin A (55.8%), vitamin B6 (61.0%), vitamin B12 (61.0%) and omega-3 fatty acids (70.1%), while most had inadequate intakes of iron (96.8%), zinc (100%), thiamin (99.2%), riboflavin (99.6%) and folate (96.8%). Thiamin, riboflavin, folate, iron, zinc and a nutrient blend (comprising iron, zinc, thiamin, riboflavin and folate) showed significant associations with RCPM scores (p < 0.05). Additionally, higher intakes of thiamin (AOR = 6.3; 95% CI: 2.5–16.0, p < 0.001) and riboflavin (AOR = 2.2; 95% CI: 1.5–7.8, p = 0.003) were associated with increased odds of better cognitive performance compared with lower intakes. No consistent associations were found with academic performance. Conclusions: Compared to recommendations, intakes of several micronutrients were inadequate in most of the children. While thiamin,…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cross-sectional, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause.
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