The effects of giving breakfast on classroom behaviour were examined in 57 undernourished (<= - 1 SD weight-for-age) and 56 adequately nourished (L-I SD weight-forage) children, selected from four rural Jamaican schools. Using a time-sampling method of observation, the children's behaviour was observed twice, once after receiving breakfast and once after receiving a piece of fruit. The impact of breakfast varied among the schools but not between nutritional groups. In the school that was best equipped and organized, the children were more attentive (p <.005) and moved less (p <.05) when they received breakfast than when they had no breakfast. In the other three schools there was no improvement; in two of these schools, the children were less on task when given breakfast (p <.02 and p < .01), and they talked more in one school (p <.05). This suggests that school breakfast may only benefit children's behaviour in the presence of satisfactory classroom infrastructure.
References
1.
FullerB.Raising school quality in developing countries: what investments boost learning. Education and Training Department Discussion Paper EDT7.Washington, DC: Population and Human Resources Department, World Bank, 1985.
2.
PollittE.Malnutrition and infection in the classroom.Paris: UNESCO, 1990.
SimeonD.T., Grantham-McGregorS.M.Nutritional deficiencies and children's behaviour and mental development. Nutr Res Rev1990; 3: 1–24.
5.
LevingerB.School feeding programs in developing countries; an analysis of actual and potential impact. Aid Evaluation Special Study No. 30.Washington, DC: US Agency for International Development, 1986.
6.
PowellC.A., Grantham-McGregor 8, ElstonM.An evaluation of giving the Jamaican government school meal to a class of childrenHum Nutr Clin Nutr1983; 37C: 381–8.
7.
MeyersA., SampsonA., WeitzmanM., RogersB.Kayne H. School breakfast program and school performance. Am J Dis Child1989; 143: 1234–9.
8.
AgarwalD.K., AgarwalK.N., UpadhyayS.K.Effect of mid-day meal programme on physical growth and mental function. Ind J Med Res1989; 90: 163–74.
9.
SoemantriA.G., PollittE., KimI.Iron deficiency anemia and educational achievement. Am J Clin Nutr1985; 42: 1221–8.
10.
PollittE., HathiratP., KotchabhakdiN.J., MissellL., ValyaseviA.Iron deficiency and educational achievement in Thailand. Am J Clin Nutr1989; 50: 687–97.
11.
Grantham-McGregorS.A review of studies of the effect of severe malnutrition on mental development. J Nutr1995; 125: 2233S–8S.
SimeonD.T., Grantham-McGregorS.Effects of missing breakfast on the cognitive functions of school children of differing nutritional status. Am J Clin Nutr1989; 49: 64653.
14.
CarrollJ.A model of school learning. Teachers Coll Rec1963; 64: 723–44.
15.
AlexanderK.L., EntwisleD.R., DauberS.L.First-grade classroom behavior: its short- and long-term consequences for school performance. Child Dev1993; 64801–14.
16.
LairdD.A., LevitanM., WilsonV.A.Nervousness in school children as related to hunger and diet. Med Rec1931; 134: 494–9.
17.
KeisterM.E.Relation of mid-morning feeding to behavior of nursery school children. J Am Diet Assoc1950; 26: 25–9.
18.
BentonE., BrettV., BrainP.F.Glucose improves attention and reaction to frustration. Bio Psychol1987; 24: 95–100.
19.
GallerJ.R., RamseyF., SolimanoG., LowellW.E.The influence of early malnutrition on subsequent behavioral development. II. Classroom behavior. J Am Acad Child Psych1983; 22: 16–22.
20.
RichardsonS.A., BirchH.G., GrabieE., YoderK.The behavior of children in school who were severely malnourished in the first two years of life. J Health Soc Behav1972; 13: 27684.
21.
SigmanM., NeumannC., JansenA.A.J., BwiboN.Cognitive abilities of Kenyan children in relation to nutrition, family characteristics, and education. Child Dev1989; 60: 1–463–74.
22.
WachsT.D., BishryZ., MoussaW., YunisF., McCabeG., HarrisonG., SweifiE., KirkseyA., GalalO., JeromeN., ShaheenF.Nutritional intake and context as predictors of cognition and adaptive behavior of Egyptian school age children. Int J Behav Dev1995; 18: 425–50.
23.
McDonaldM.A., SigmanM., EspinosaM.P., NeumannC.G.Impact of a temporary food shortage on children and their mothers. Child Dev1994; 65: 404–15.
24.
ChandlerA.K., WalkerS.P., ConnollyK., Grantham-McGregorS.M.School breakfast improves cognitive function in undernourished Jamaican children. J Nutr1995; 125: 894900.
25.
HamillP.W., DrizdT.A., JohnsonC.L., ReedR.B., RocheA.F.Growth curves for children, birth-18 years.Hyatsville, Md, USA: DHEW Pub. No. 78–1650, National Center for Health Statistics, 1977; Ser. 11: 165,1–74.
26.
MustA., DallalG.E., DietzW.H.Reference data for obesity: 85th and 95th percentiles of body mass index (wt/ht2) and triceps skinfold thickness. Am J Clin Nutr1991; 53: 83946.
27.
CohenJ.A coefficient of agreement for nominal scales. Educ Psychol Meas1960; 20: 3746.
28.
HimesJ.H.Reliability of anthropometric methods and replicate measurement. Am J Phys Anthropol1989; 79: 77–80.
29.
ClarkeN.M.A., Grantham-McGregorS.M., PowellC.Nutrition and health predictors of school failure in Jamaican children. Ecol Food Nutr1991; 26: 1–11.
30.
WalkerS.P., Grantham-McGregorS., HimesJ.H., WilliamsS., BennettF.Nutritional and health determinants of school failure and dropout in adolescent girls in Kingston, Jamaica. Research Report Series No. 1.Washington, DC: International Center for Research on Women, 1994.
31.
VellemanP.F., HoaglinD.C.Applications, basics and computing of exploratory data analysis.Boston, Mass, USA: Duxbury Press, 1981.
32.
CohenJ.Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences.Hillsdale, NJ, USA: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1988: 273406.
33.
HarbisonR.W., HanuskekE.A.Educational performance of the poor. Lessons from rural northeast Brazil.New York: Oxford University Press, 1992.
34.
RosenfieldP.Lamber NM, Black A. Desk arrangement effects on pupils’ classroom behavior. J Ed Psych1985; 77: 101–8.
35.
WeinsteinC.S.The physical environment of the school. A review of the research. Rev Ed Res1979; 49: 577610.
