The effect of malnutrition on students' academic performance: Roy’s model application
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to enhance understanding of malnutrition's effect on academic achievement of primary school students.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a descriptive, cross-sectional design built on Roy's adaptation model (RAM). This study uses a random cluster sample, consisting of 453 primary school students. Contextual stimuli (mother's educational level, income and child’s breakfast eating) and focal stimuli (wasting, thinness, body mass index and stunting) were examined regarding adaptive responses to student’s academic achievement.
Findings
The investigation revealed that Model 1, which took into account factors of age, gender, the frequency of breakfast, income, the number of family members and the education of mothers, explained 12% (R2 = 0.12) of the variance in academic achievement. Stuntedness (β = −3.2 and p < 0.01), BMI (β = 0.94 and p < 0.001), family income per month (β = 5.60 and p < 0.001) and mother's education (β = 2.79 and p < 0.001) were the significant predictors in Model 2.
Practical implications
This study provides evidence that malnutrition is associated with ineffective academic achievement. Moreover, variables such as the mother's level of education, family income and the child’s breakfast consumption have a significant impact on academic achievements.
Originality/value
RAM is a useful framework for determining factors affecting people's reactions to difficult circumstances.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors thank all students who participated in this study, all school managers and the teacher who facilitated the research and the data collection process.
Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Author’s contribution: Mariam Kawafha and Duaa Al-Maghaireh: Conceptualization of idea; Najah Shawish: Model application; Andaleeb Abu Kamel: Data analysis; Abedelkader Al kofahi and Heidar Sheyab: Reviewing the paper; and Khitam Alsaqer: writing the introduction part.
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Data availability: All data are available upon request.
Citation
Kawafha, M., Al Maghaireh, D., Shawish, N., Abu Kamel, A., Al Kofahi, A., Sheyab, H. and Alsaqer, K. (2024), "The effect of malnutrition on students' academic performance: Roy’s model application", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-12-2023-0294
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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