BELIEFS AND PRACTICES OF MOTHERS AND ITS EFFECT ON THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN

An Undergraduate Thesis Proposal Presented to the Faculty of the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation Lucena City

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Cheska Aubrey Alzola Harvey Cornejo Kamil Ogma Carmela Oliveros Ivy Carie Lou Punio

CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM: RATIONALE AND ITS BACKGROUND Background of the study Nutrition plays an important role in the academic life of the pupils balanced nutrition make children active, aware and enthusiastic in their academic performance and co-curricular activities as well as in their home and in the community. It is important for the parents in shorter children balanced diet to foster the sound health of their children. According to Dr. Lillian Leynes- Juadiong being a competent mother requires knowing a variety of approaches to guide their school age children into adulthood. One of their goals as a mother is to develop the whole child- physically, cognitively and socio-emotionally. Nutrition is a fundamental factor that affects the growth and well being of man. It is a vital part of the design for improving the quality of life. Properly nourished human beings can develop to their fullest, physically and mentally. Studies have proven that nutrition leads to a better life for our people because undernourished children have smaller brains and fewer brain cells (from 15 to 20 percent) than the well nourished children. Thus, if at birth a child has an IQ capacity of 140 percent, because of malnutrition, the gray matter of his brains will have been impaired during its development. The brain will not develop to its 140 percent IQ capacity. And if the impairment has reduced to 100 percent IQ capacity, no amount of quality education can improved that childs IQ beyond 100 percent because the original IQ capacity has already been reduced to 100 percent A malnourished child is therefore unproductive and unresponsive to creativity .Among the effects of malnutrition are: stunted growth, a continuous decline in weight, poor mental Performance,

Low resistance to infection resulting to susceptibility to diseases like tuberculosis, diarrhea, chicken pox and some others. Children who are malnourished usually show low performance in school and low aspiration for higher education and drop out of school. According to Alan Berg A well planned and well executed effort to change behavior in ways that improve nutrition can and does make a difference. Thus, Health implies not only being freed from diseases but having physical, mental and emotional fitness as well. Nutritional deficiencies are expressed not only in the physical condition of the children but more so in terms of poor learning abilities, poor grades, lack of interests in studies and failures. Education indeed has an important role in the problem. Mothers and Partners in parenting plays a pivotal role in promoting proper nutrition among their child/children. The task of improving the quality of nutrition begins in the home as well as in school. Statement of the Problem
1. What is the demographic profile of mother in terms of:

1.1 Age 1.2 Religion 1.3 Educational attainment

1.4 Economic Status

2. What are the health beliefs and practices of mother regarding to nutrition of their school age children? 3. Is there a significant relationship between the health beliefs and practice in this profile?

4. Hypothesis:

Significance of the study The researchers sought to find out the nutritional deficiencies and status of school-aged children in Alabat school. This study is relevant because nutrition is the greatest single factor that contributes to good health. To be healthy, one must eat a variety of foods in the right amount. Otherwise, one become nervous and irritable, tires easily, has poor personal appearance, has poor complexion and develops tooth decay. Besides, physical development, intellectual development and physical well-being are affected by malnutrition. Considering that the youth are our nations greatest resource, mother is implementing their beliefs and practices when it comes to nutrition of school age children. The mothers conduct nutritional belief and practice to their children, to impart knowledge about nutritious and correct diet. They maintain their practice and see to it that their children have improvement especially in their academic performances. This management made by mothers contributes to the guidance of their children in the choice of balanced and nutritious diet. Since many of the physical ailments and health problems that affect the mental or physical development of their children are the effects of poor nutritious, this study assumes significance. We cannot have a notion of undernourished children.

The result of this study will be particular to help the mother and children. Alabat Elementary school may also benefit from this study. Scope and Limitations of the study The scope of this study focus on beliefs, practices, attitude of a mother that affects the nutrional status of their school age children .Childhood is a period of rapid growth when nutritional needs are very high. In the early years of life feeding has got a lifelong effect as observed in infants and children because of under-nutrition and malnutrition. The most important contributing factors of malnutrition are multifaceted. Ignorance and prejudices as part of care taker are some of them .Unknowingly, the parents are following certain practices which if given proper education can be discarded. Feeding and weaning practices pertaining infants vary not only from one culture to one another that also deeper with in the same culture The respondent of the study are the mothers of school age children in R.T. Camacho Elementary School. The researcher goes to the homes to identify mothers who fulfilled the inclusion criteria and to collect baseline data.

Theoretical Framework From the review of related literature, the researchers conceptualized that nutrition is the basic need and the fundamental factor that affects the physical and mental development of a child. Its connection is similar to the connection of plant to sunlight. A plant receiving much of this light grows

stronger and bigger than other plants that less received this light from the sun. On the other hand, parents, teachers, as well as the government are also important factors to the childs physical and mental development in the sense that they are responsible in molding the childs character, mind and spirit, and in implementing nutrition program for all the members of the society. Connection is like that of a plant to water or rain. Plant receiving this water grows more than the plant that receives less rain. Moreover, adequate nutrition is essential to good health. Good nutrition gives a picture of a person with health. Good nutrition gives a picture of a person with normal weight, height, and body frame for his age. He has firm and strong muscles that are well formed. He has good appetite and digestion, ability to concentrate, mental alertness, emotional ability, vitality and vigor, resistant to infections and wholesome personality are all results of good health and proper nutrition. Therefore, in order avoid the child from becoming malnourished; parents must see to it that their children have adequate diet. They must give their siblings more protein, minerals, water and vitamins which are greatly needed in their growth.

Conceptual Paradigm

Elements of Parenting Proper childcare Adequate nutrition Healthy environmen t Proper stimulation Good Older Siblin gs

Partners in parenting

Modifying Variables of Parents

Adequate parenting High level of emotional, psychological and intellectual development

Neigh bours
CHIL D

Relati ves

Educatio n Income Type of Family

Fathe r& Moth er

Grand Paren ts

Frien ds

Adequate parenting of Low level emotional, intellectual development, and stunning

Definition of Terms

Nutrition-is the combination of processes by which the living organism receives and utilizes the materials necessary for the maintenance of growth, reproduction and lactation. Malnutrition- means an individual lacks one or more nutrients to the extent that retardation in physical development occurs in specific condition appear. It may also mean an excess of one or more nutrients resulting in the impairment of health. Performance- Is measured by the rating given by the teachers. Adequate Diet-is one that provides all the essential nutrients in essential quantities to meet the need of the body. Nutrition Education-Is a process by which beliefs, attitude and understanding gained about food. Economic condition- the childs growth and development are influenced by environment, heredity, and economic conditions. The rate of income of a family gives the economic condition of the family. Nutritional problems in the proper feeding of school children, there are certain conditions which ought to be acted upon before any change for improvement can be effected. There are obstacles to be overcome or gaps to be patched up. The implications of these difficulties are termed nutritional problems. School- in this study refers to R.T. Camacho Elementary School which is used as the research locale. Pupil- is the elementary pupils used as subjects in this study. Belief-is a feeling of certainty that something exists, is true or is good. Practices- refer to something that people do regularly as a practice.

Group V-B ALZOLA,CHESKA CORNEJO,HARVEY OGMA,KAMIL OLIVEROS,CARME LA PUNIO,IVY