ANGELES UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL ABSTRACT

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This study looked into the relationship between nutritional status and academic achievement among children in public elementary school setting in the face of the current problem on the double burden of malnutrition. Crosssectional survey data from 258 pupils (135 girls and 123 boys; mean age = 1009 + 1.2 years) in the intermediate levels of two public grade schools in Mabalacat, Pampanga were analyzed. Nutritional status was based on WHO Child Growth Standard on BMI-for-age. Body weight (in kilograms) and height (in centimeters) were measured using SECA digital scale and body meter, respectively. Academic achievement was based on the third grading marks of the pupils in all subjects. Results showed that 12.6% of the girls and 13.0% of the boys fell below the standard of BMI for their age while 4.4% of the girls and 9.7% had above normal BMI-for-age. Academic performance was not found to be significantly associated with nutritional status based on BMI. However, children who expressed greater frequency being absent from school due to poor health condition and of being too tired, bored or sleepy to study were found to have significantly lower grades in all subjects. Other factors found to be significant associated with lower academic performance were greater perceived frequency of family and financial problems and poor study habits, namely: putting off doing assignments and not studying lessons regularly.