Diet, Breakfast, and Academic Performance in Children

Abstract

Objective

To determine whether nutrient intake and academic and psychosocial functioning improve after the start of a universal-free school breakfast program (USBP).

Methods

Information was gathered from 97 inner city students prior to the start of a USBP and again after the program had been in place for 6 months. Students who had total energy intakes of <50% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) and/or 2 or more micronutrients of <50% of RDA were considered to be at nutritional risk.

Results

Prior to the USBP, 33% of all study children were classified as being at nutritional risk. Children who were at nutritional risk had significantly poorer attendance, punctuality, and grades at school, more behavior problems, and were less likely to eat breakfast at school than children who were not at nutritional risk. Six months after the start of the free school breakfast programs, students who decreased their nutritional risk showed significantly greater: improvements in attendance and school breakfast participation, decreases in hunger, and improvements in math grades and behavior than children who did not decrease their nutritional risk.

Conclusion

Participation in a school breakfast program enhanced daily nutrient intake and improvements in nutrient intake were associated with significant improvements in student academic performance and psychosocial functioning and decreases in hunger.

Opini

Pada jurnal ini, dapat kita ketahui bahwa melalui program universal-free school breakfast program (USBP), sekolah mampu meningkatkan partisipasi siswa untuk mengikuti program sarapan di sekolah. Diantara manfaat riil yang diperoleh dari pelaksanaan program ini adalah : 

1. Perbaikan status gizi pada anak yang mengalami nutritional risk
2. Peningkatan kehadiran dan partisipasi program sarapan siswa
3. Penurunan kelaparan pada siswa
4. Peningkatan nilai matematika dan perilaku

Penerapan program sarapan gratis ini perlu diterapkan pada sekolah yang memiliki resiko gizi pada siswanya. Level ekonomi keluarga yang rendah membuat anak susah memperoleh asupan gizi dan nutrisi yang adekuat, terutama saat pagi hari ketika orangtua dan keluarga sedang sibuk mempersiapkan aktivitas harian. Di Indonesia, penerapan program sarapan gratis perlu melibatkan  pihak sponsor untuk membantu memberikan suplai dana terutama dalam penyediaan makanan. Salah satu caranya adalah dengan program subsidi silang dari keluarga siswa yang memiliki level ekonomi lebih tinggi. Selain itu, bisa diterapkan juga program pengalihan uang saku siswa, melalui koordinasi dengan orangtua siswa dan pihak kantin sekolah.

Reference

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3275817/