Association between Preschool Children Nutrition and Cognitive Performance

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

1 Departments of Nutrition, National Research Center, Giza, Egypt

2 Departments of Child Health National Research Center, Giza, Egypt

3 Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

The present study is aimed to assess the nutritional status and cognitive performances 
of some preschool children (57.2-71.39 months). The study was performed on 39
children 51% were girls and 49% were boys with a mean age of 53.59±1.85 months. 
All children from cities Giza government. The obtained data showed that mean value
body weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and mid upper arm circumference 
(MUAC) were 16.97±0.26 kg, 101.7±0.98 cm, 16.47±0.21kg/m2
, and 14.01±0.33 cm 
respectively. According to the food intake analysis, the mean value intake of total 
energy, protein, fat, and carbohydrate was 985.08±32.79 kcal, 33.74±1.12 g, 33.98±1.28
g, and 110.96±3.89 g respectively. The mean value intake of some minerals (Iodine, 
Iron, Selenium, and Zinc) was 81.64±5.49µg, 9.71±0.49 mg, and 42.79±2.67µg and 
4.77±0.22 mg respectively. The mean value intake of some vitamins (Vitamin A, 
Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, and Vitamin C) was 273.23±25.57 I.U, 0.45±0.06 mg, 
0.49±0.03 mg, and 17.01±1.14mg respectively. Some biochemical analyses showed 
that the mean value urinary iodine was 159.55±3.08 µg/l, and blood hemoglobin was 
11.5±0.10g/dl. The Wechsler tests were done to calculate student IQ, the mean value 
of verbal IQ was 103.23±1.18, the mean average of performance IQ was 76.23±2.78, 
and the mean of total IQ was 94.61±0.93. Finally, this study is importance due to the 
lack of studies in this stage of childhood and so we recommended that to more 
investigation need to done at this stage of childhood especially with the increasing 
interest of the Egyptian government in the healthy nutrition of children.

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