Experts say proper nutrition crucial for pupils’ performance

By Standard Reporter

Children are more likely to register better grades in school as well as be more productive later in their adult life if they observe optimum nutrition in their formative years.

Statistics from the Kenya Demographic Health survey shows 35 per cent of children under five in Kenya today are stunted.

This is a serious national development concern as the children are at a high risk of dying and if they survive, they are likely to be less productive in their adult life.

“Ensuring proper nutrition for children affects their school performance in that better nutrition leads to higher cognitive achievement and increased learning capacity. Thus, although the 2.8 million children, who suffer are stunted may enroll later in school and even complete a few grades, their performance will be below their potential,” says Alice Ndong, a Nairobi-based nutrition consultant. 

She also adds that stunted children are enrolled later in school than nourished ones because parents deem shorter children to be younger.

Government efforts

Because it is often invisible until it is severe, families tend to ignore poor nutrition, putting children who often appear healthy at grave risk of serious and even permanent damage to their health and development. 

Since the 1999 national micronutrient study, the Government has made some effort towards reducing the high micronutrient deficiencies.

Multiple approaches have been employed, including food fortification, supplementation and promotion of consumption of micronutrient-rich foods.

The Government has also strengthened efforts towards public private partnerships to implement educational programmes aimed at creating awareness on good nutrition for optimum health of all Kenyans.

Zipporah Gatheru of Kenya Paediatric Association, says nutrition interventions are best implemented early.

“Dietary habits, which affect food preferences, energy consumption and nutrient intakes, are generally developed in early childhood. The home and school environments thus play a major role in determining a child’s attitude and consumption of individual foods,” says Dr Gatheru.

Unilever Kenya, through its Blue Band brand, is currently implementing a nutritional education programme in schools, whereby the lower primary school children are imparted with education on the importance of consuming a balanced diet and ensuring they consume foods from all food groups.

The Blue Band brand category manager Vanuza Candido said mothers perceive fats as unhealthy for the body and this may lead them to omit fats from the children’s diet thus having negative effect on their growth.

Children need at least 30 per cent of fats for them to grow.

“Although foods contain a number of nutrients, energy is provided by proteins, carbohydrates and fats.Vitamins and minerals in foods, although essential for normal metabolic functions, do not contribute calories to our diets. Each gramme of protein or carbohydrate we consume contributes four calories of energy. In contrast, fat provides nine per gramme,” said Ndong.

She added that there is need to change the perception that fats are bad for the body. She said children are very active hence the need to give them a balanced diet which includes fats.