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Dietary patterns and school performance: evidence from a sample of adolescents in Sicily, Italy
Being successful academically is linked to future productivity, wealth, and health. On the other hand, unhealthy dietary patterns may undermine academic achievement. In this cross-sectional study by Barchitta et al. (2019), the authors examined 213 adolescents (15-18 years of age, 48% males) in Eastern Sicily to evaluate the links between dietary patterns and academic success. The participants submitted information on their meals consumed per week using a Food Frequency Questionnaire, in addition to information on their Mediterranean Diet Scores and school performance. Analysis of the results demonstrated a modest substantial positive association between Mediterranean Diet Scores and school performance in Physical Education, Science, Italian, and Mathematics. On the other hand, a modest substantial negative association between Western dietary patterns (consumption of energy-dense food rich in refined grains, processed meats and sweetened beverages) and academic performance, particularly in Italian. Finally, it was also observed that students who ate all their main meals in a regular manner performed significantly better in school compared to students who skipped one or more meals. The authors conclude that their results show the public health importance of enhancing healthy dietary habits in adolescents in order to increase their quality of life and decrease the potential negative health and social outcomes later on. [NPID: Academic performance, diet, mediterranean diet, school marks]
Year: 2019
