Effects Of Poor Nutritional Needs On Academic Performance Of Primary Six Pupils In Some Selected Primary Schools In Imillike Town

Effects Of Poor Nutritional Needs On Academic Performance Of Primary Six Pupils In Some Selected Primary Schools In Imillike Town
Abstract
This study was designed to investigate the various effects of poor nutritional needs on the academic performance of primary six pupils in Imillike Town. The purpose of the study was to find out the difference between food nutrients needed and the types given to primary six pupils. To also identify the extent to which poor nutritional needs prevailed among pupils in primary six so as to devise a means of improving the academic performance of pupils through identifying way of given pupils assistance for better performance. Essentially, the study was a survey research and the subject consisted of 100 pupils, 50 parents and 50 teachers drawn from the sampled primary school and communities in Imillie Town. The study consisted both male and female. Ten questions were administered to the parents, pupils and teachers respectively. Simple percentile rank was used for data analysis. The result gathered showed that poor nutrition prevalent among primary six pupils in Imillike town, which is as a result of low socio-economic status of their parents. Government, Non-Governmental Agencies, UNICEF and other stakeholder in education are beckoned to provide the pupils with free foods in school which will go a long way in preventing the menaces of poor nutrition and its effects on the academic performance of the pupils. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations were directed to government, parents, teachers and community at large on how to prevent poor nutrition to improve the academic performance of the pupils.
Chapter One
Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
Food is one of the basic needs of man. Our body needs food to do its work. Food is vital to life and may be any solid or liquid substance which when eaten and digested by the body, provides it with necessary materials to enable it grow, replace worn-out and damaged parts and to function normally. The human body is like a complex piece of machinery in that it is prone to faults and weaknesses if it is poorly maintained. This can happen if the daily food intake is in any unbalanced form. Again, any nutritious substance that people or animal eat or drink, or that plants absorb, in order to maintain life and growth (Wikipedia dictionary.com, 2011). In essence, food is made up of nutrients.
Food and nutrition is one of the branches of Home Economics which deals with food and its nutrients. It includes food processing, presentation, food preparation, meal management and services. Lack of adequate intake of these nutrients lead to poor nutritional needs on the academic performance among the primary school children, in particular primary six pupils in rural areas.
Anazonwu, (2003) pointed out that the wealth of a nation depends to a large extent on the health of these citizens. She further said children are the future generation who are expected to grow up in good health, productive adults, likewise are able to make a full contribution towards the economic and social progress of their country. In other words, health is wealth.
Pyke (1982) says that poor diet and disease actually result from underlying causes related to insufficient access to food by families or household. Inadequate caring practices provide vulnerability of the members of the family, in particular, children may be exposed to poor nutrition. It is necessary to identify in a specific situation what constitute the major constraints to providing adequate access to food, to health services and to certain extent education.
According to the World Summit for Children (2000), each day, 60,000 children die from poor nutrition and disease, including acquired immune deficiency syndrome AIDS, from lack of clean water, inadequate sanitation and from the effects of the drug problem. in children, poor nutrition is synonymous with growth failure.
Looking at the adverse effect of poor nutrition on the health, growth and education of the pupils as well as the brighter future of the nations, socio economics development, this study, therefore, become necessary to attempt to uncover the negative impact of poor nutrition on primary six pupils of Imillike Agu in Udenu Local Government of Enugu State with a view to awakening the consciousness of parents, teachers, government and other stakeholders in education. This will go a long way in improving the health, growth and educational needs of the pupils as well as the socio-economic advancement of Imillike town and nation at large.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
According to the state of the word’s children (1988), the primary school children are faced with poor growth or malnutrition which results from deficiency of protein and energy inadequate intake of vital minerals, such as Iron, Calcium, Iodine, Zinc and Phosphorous, in addition with vitamins such as Vitamin A, D, E, and K and some essential Amino Acids.
The researcher’s experience and interaction with primary six pupils, observed that primary six pupils are faced with poor nutritional needs which affects their academic performance. This prompts the researcher to investigate and find out the effects of poor nutritional needs on the academic performance of primary six pupils in some selected primary schools in Imillike town, in order to help these children to perform better in academics.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this research study is to investigate the effects of poor nutritional needs on academic performance of primary six pupils among some selected primary schools in Imillike town. Other objectives of the study include:
- To find out the difference between the feeding system and the academic performance of the primary six pupils in Imillike town.
- To identify the difference between food nutrition needed by the pupils in Imillike town.
- To identify the effects of poor nutrition and academic performance of primary six pupils in Imillike town.
- To devise means of helping the pupils with poor nutritional status which affects their performance in school in order to meet up with their counterparts in acquiring the three taxonomy of educational objectives.
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions are formulated to facilitate the finding of this research;
- What is the relationship between good nutrition and child’s performance in the school?
- To what extent does the parents’ socio-economic status affect poor nutrition of their children?
- Is there any effect of poor nutrition on pupils’ academic performance in Imillike town?
- What are the teachers’ attitudes towards malnourished pupils in primary schools in Imillike town?
- What joint efforts are required to reduce the incidence of malnourished pupils in primary schools in Imillike town?
1.5 Significance of the Study
The significance of this study can be perceived in the following ways:
The finding of this research is hoped to help the government, policy makers, Home Economists, Curriculum Planners, teachers and parents to find tangible solutions to poor nutrition among the children at the primary six level. This should be done through seminars, workshops, conferences, Parents Teachers Association (PTA), community health extension services and correspondence.
The findings will assist the teachers, parents and other stakeholders in education to find solutions to the problems to poor nutrition as it affects the academic performance of primary six pupils.
The findings will also help to alert the government on the importance of regular school; breakfast.
The pupils will be guided by both parents and teachers on the appropriate way and method of feeding in order to be functional at home or school to increase that academic performance.
The finding will be used at national, district/state and local levels, to help plan effective ways to improve nutrition problems in pupils and help identifying the most appropriate ways of solving the problem.
1.6 Delimitation of the Study
This research study will investigate into the various effects of poor nutrition on the academic performance of primary six pupils. The research will centre on the causes of poor nutrition and its effects on the academic performance of the pupils. The study will be limited to primary six pupils in Imillike town.
1.7 Operational Definition of Terms
The following are defined in the context in which they are used in this research:
Effect:
This is a change which is as a result or consequence of an action or other cause.
Nutrient:
It is a chemical substance in the food we eat.
Nutrition:
This is science of how nutrient affect the body and their subsequently relation to the health and disease.
Nutritional Needs:
This is the amount of energy and essential nutrients needed to keep the human body healthy.
Primary School:
This is a sector for young children who are from the age of five to eleven years receiving their education.
Chapter Five
Summary of Findings, Conclusion and Recommendations
5.1 Summary of Findings
This research study investigates into the various effects of poor nutritional needs on the academic performance of primary six pupils in Mpape town, Abuja. For the purpose of the study, the following variables were looked into: the feeding system and academic performance of the pupils, socio-economic status of the parents, teachers’ and ability to learn in some conditions.
The researcher articulates some research questions and hypothesis to direct the study. The literature related to the study reviewed various themes such as the nature of child’s nutrition, nutrition for children and nutrition education, determinants of poor nutrition, effect of poor nutritional needs, good nutritional provision and advice, parents’ responsibility toward pupils’ nutrition.
For data collection, the researcher designed on instrument which is questionnaires, simple percent age, and pie-chart was employed for data analysis.
The findings of the study established the following facts:
- Poor nutritional needs are very prevalent among the primary six pupils in Mpape town.
- There is significant relations hip between socio-economic status of parents and academic performance of pupils in the area of study.
- The provision of school free foods and food supplements by government, non-Governmental Agencies, UNICEF and other stakeholders in Education are not available to these children.
- The teaching of Home Economic s and Nutrition Education is half baked, due to lack of cooking utensils, equipments and laboratories
5.2 Conclusion
Poor nutrition is inadequate intake of energy and essential nutrition needed by the body to keep it healthy. This poor quality intake of food affects people at all ages, but more prevalent among primary six pupils, who are preparing to gain entrance in to secondary education. These pupils have problems in reading comprehension, test of vocabulary; they also find it difficult in identification of mathematics symbols, solving and mathematics and basic science. Also they miss school and fall behind in the class due to their poor nutrition levels.
From the findings of this research, it is discovered that poor nutrition is prevalent among primary six pupils in Mpape town and it has negative effects on the academic performance of pupils. Therefore, it is concluded in this research that Government both at Federal, State and Local levels, teachers, parents, non–governmental Agencies and other stakeholders in education should take this provision of adequate nutrition very serious in order to meet up with the demands in education. There is need to give urgent attention to the problem before it derails the standard of primary education, particularly primary six. These include setting out to realize the following:
- The higher the socio-economic status of parents, the higher the academic performance of pupils.
- That if government and non-governmental agencies should provide free breakfast ensures the higher educational attainment of pupils.
- The higher the teaching of Home Economics and Nutrition Education, the higher the academic performance of the pupils.
- Again, parent should work hard to improve the nutritional level of their wards in primary six.
- Pupils should take Home Economic very serious, in order to help themselves with good diet.
5.2 Recommendations
In the course of this research, the researcher was able to identify some of the difficulties been faced by the pupils as a result of poor nutrition on the academic performance. It was then observed that poor nutritional status of primary six pupils in Mpape town, which affects their academic performance are determine by poverty, inadequate intake of six classes of food nutrients and essential amino acids in their diet, poor feeding system, skipping breakfast, in adequate intake of quality snacks, fruits and fruit juice, vegetables and nuts.
It is expected that Home Economic teachers, community nutritionist and extension workers should enlighten parents on the type of food to be given to the children. Following the food pyramid a s the ultimate, parent s should stop patronizing the pastas, and noodles companies and fast food joint and embrace good nutrition for their children. They should also use iodized salt in food preparation to prevent iodine deficiency such as goiter and scurvy.
Government and other stakeholder in education and bodies that see about children like UNICEF should consider giving the pupils breakfast or lunch at least once a day.
Teachers on the other hand should known the subject matter very well and deliver their lessons appropriately, organized practical classes using the foods in the locality.
However, the primary six pupils in Mpape town should enrich themselves with food that contains zinc, iodine, iron, foliate (folic acids) and essential fatty acids for proper functioning of the brain. The six classes of food nutrient s should be embraced for intellectual development and normal functioning of the body tissues and repair.
Policy maker should include good nutritional provision in the primary school curriculum. Teachers should be equipped and encouraged to put more effort in teaching nutrition. Only qualified and competent teachers should be recruited; training and re-training of teachers for innovative ideals. Cooking utensil, equipments and standard laboratories should be provided.
5.3 Limitations of the Study
The research’s short-comings in the design and execution of the study is socio-economic constraints and time factor. This makes the researcher to limit her work only with the primary six pupils in Mpape town, instead of entire children in primary schools across Abuja or Nation at large.
On the contrary, the researcher experienced a courtesy welcome from the selected school, particularly those in private sector, who felt recognized by the university and undergraduate student. Both teachers, pupils and parents were happy and eager to answer the questions administered to them; which also aided in the 100% return of the questionnaires.
5.4 Suggestions for Further Studies
Having carried out this research successfully, the researcher id suggesting that further studies should be carried out in the following areas:
- Nutrition and brain development of the students in junior secondary school in Nigeria.
- Causes of poor academic performance of students in Secondary schools in Nigeria.
- Cause s of poor nutrition in rural areas in Nigeria.
- Impact of nutrition in community development in Nigeria.
5.5 Contribution to Knowledge
This research study: Effects of poor Nutritional needs on the Academic performance of pupils in primary six will contributes immensely in theory and practice of Education in the following ways:
- In planning curriculum for primary education.
- In various methods of teaching and learning.
- It will arouse the interest of Government to provide free food regularly to the pupils in primary schools for better performance in academic work.
- It will challenge the low performing teachers to wake-up.
- This research will help to encourage recruitment of only qualified personnel’s for better handling of practical.
- The re search will increase the knowledge of parents; as nutritionists and community extension workers with dissemination of the information in the worship centers, Parents-Teacher Association (PTA) meeting s etc.
- The Home Grown programme will be revived in federal capital Territory, Abuja and Global nutrition al Surveillance system that was established by UNICEF and WHO to monitor food the given to primary school children will get to Mpape town.


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