The Impact of Including Whole Eggs as a Supplementary Source of Protein on the Academic Performance of Thai Children in Primary Schools
Keywords:
Eggs, Dietary patterns, Children , Academic performanceAbstract
Studies have demonstrated that eggs promote growth and alleviate malnutrition due to their abundant nutritional composition. This study aimed to assess the impact of egg consumption on the academic performance of Thai school-age children. A whole egg refers to a single chicken egg, which includes both the egg white and the egg yolk, weighing approximately 50 g without shell. The sample consisted of over a thousand students who were currently enrolled in grades 1st to 6th in two government schools in Thailand, encompassing both large and small schools. The children were selected randomly using stratified random sampling. The main guardian filled out a survey, which functioned as a research tool and examined the dietary habits of students. The process of data collection commenced in 2023. The data analysis involved employing Pearson's correlation, calculating percentages, determining mean values and standard deviation, and conducting one-way ANOVA and post-hoc analysis. The study's results indicated that children who consistently ingested an average of 60 to 90 whole eggs per month exhibited excellent academic performance and had the greatest average height compared to other groups of children in grades 1st to 2nd. During the 3rd grade, children start adapting to the school environment, and the significance of growth and nutrition has diminished. There was no significant alteration in GPA from grades 4th to 6th as a result of growth and nutrition. It was observed that students in every grade who eat 5 eggs per month attained a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.80 (GPA is a number representing the average value of the accumulated final grades earned in courses over time, usually ranging between 0 and 4.0.). The results suggest that there was a significant difference in the academic performance of students who ingested different quantities of whole eggs per month (20, 30, 60, and 90) when compared to the group of students who consumed only 5 whole eggs per month (P-value < 0.0001). This study suggests that it is advisable for children to consume meals on a regular basis and incorporate one egg into each meal. Children in the 4th to 6th grades begin to cultivate the ability to think logically and coherently, as well as have a more profound comprehension of how to utilize technology. At this stage of development, teachers and parents should actively promote and counsel their children on the prudent use of technology.
References
American Heart Association, Committee on Nutrition. (1968). Diet and heart disease. American Heart Association: Dallas, TX, USA.
Aorgart, W., & Pinyoanuntapong, S. (2016). The study of early childhood in accordance with food behavioral consumption in case of “the school in Bangkok”. Journal of Education Srinakharinwirot University, 17(2), 13-27.
Ayalew, M., Bayray, A., Bekele, A., & Handebo, S. (2020). Nutritional status and educational performance of school-aged children in Lalibela town primary schools, Northern Ethiopia. International Journal of Pediatrics, 2020, 5956732.
Bragg, M.G., Prado, E.L., Caswell, B.L., Arnold, C.D., George, M., Oakes, L.M., ... Stewart, C.P. (2023). The association between plasma choline, growth and neurodevelopment among Malawian children aged 6–15 months enroled in an egg intervention trial. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 19(2), e13471.
Bureau of Nutrition, Department of Ministry of Public Health. (2020).Dietary reference intake for Thais. Bangkok: A.V. Progressive.
Bureau of Nutrition, Department of Ministry of Public health. (2021).A guide to using the growth reference criteria for children aged 6-19 years (2nd ed.). Samutprakarn: TS Interprint.
Cahoon, A., Gilmore, C., & Simms, V. (2021). Developmental pathways of early numerical skills during the preschool to school transition. Learning and Instruction, 75, 101484.
Caswell, B.L., Arnold, C.D., Lutter, C.K., Iannotti, L.L., Chipatala, R., Werner, E.R., ... Stewart, C.P. (2021). Impacts of an egg intervention on nutrient adequacy among young Malawian children. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 17(3), e13196.
Dong, Y., Jan, C., Ma, Y., Dong, B., Zou, Z., Yang, Y., ... Patton, G.C. (2019). Economic development and the nutritional status of Chinese school-aged children and adolescents from 1995 to 2014: An analysis of five successive national surveys. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 7(4), 288-299.
Dukhi, N. (2020). Global prevalence of malnutrition: Evidence from literature. In M. Imran (Ed.), Malnutrition (pp. 1–16). London: IntechOpen.
Erikson, E.H. (1963). Childhood and society (2nd ed.). New York: Norton.
Fernandez, M.L., & Calle, M. (2010). Revisiting dietary cholesterol recommendations: Does the evidence support a limit of 300 mg/d? Current Atherosclerosis Reports, 12, 377-383.
He, J., Chen, X., Fan, X., Cai, Z., & Huang, F. (2019). Is there a relationship between body mass index and academic achievement? A meta-analysis. Public Health, 167, 111-124.
Iannotti, L.L., Lutter, C.K., Bunn, D.A., & Stewart, C.P. (2014). Eggs: the uncracked potential for improving maternal and young child nutrition among the world's poor. Nutrition Reviews, 72(6), 355-368.
Kase, B.E., Frongillo, E.A., Isanovic, S., Gonzalez, W., Wodajo, H.Y., & Djimeu, E.W. (2022). Determinants of egg consumption by infants and young children in Ethiopia. Public Health Nutrition, 25(11), 3121-3130.
Lehner, A., Staub, K., Aldakak, L., Eppenberger, P., Rühli, F., Martin, R.D., & Bender, N. (2020). Fish consumption is associated with school performance in children in a non-linear way: Results from the German cohort study KiGGS. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, 2020(1), 2-11.
Liu, X., Shao, Y., Sun, J., Tu, J., Wang, Z., Tao, J., & Chen, J. (2022). Egg consumption improves vascular and gut microbiota function without increasing inflammatory, metabolic, and oxidative stress markers. Food Science & Nutrition, 10(1), 295-304.
Maulu, S., Nawanzi, K., Abdel-Tawwab, M., & Khalil, H.S. (2021). Fish nutritional value as an approach to children's nutrition. Frontiers in Nutrition, 8, 780844.
Maytapattana, M. (2017). Factors associated with food consumption behavior of nursing students. The Journal of Faculty of Nursing Burapha University, 25(3), 20-29.
Michael, J.L., & Shamim S.M. (2023). Biochemistry, essential amino acids. Retrieved January,15,2024 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557845/
Padhani, Z.A., Das, J.K., Akhtar, S., Ismail, T., & Bhutta, Z.A. (2022). Tackling protein-calorie malnutrition during world crises. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 78(Suppl. 1), 27-38.
Papanikolaou, Y., & Fulgoni III, V.L. (2019). Egg consumption in US children is associated with greater daily nutrient intakes, including protein, lutein+ zeaxanthin, choline, α-linolenic acid, and docosahexanoic acid. Nutrients, 11(5), 1137.
Piaget, J. (1983). Piaget's theory. In P. Mussen (Ed.), Handbook of Child Psychology (pp. 41-102). New York: Wiley.
Roos, A.L., Goetz, T., Krannich, M., Donker, M., Bieleke, M., Caltabiano, A., & Mainhard, T. (2023). Control, anxiety and test performance: Self-reported and physiological indicators of anxiety as mediators.
British Journal of Educational Psychology, 93, 72-89. Saiwan, T., Puwastien, P., Deeaum, A., & Judprasong, K. (2015). Nutritive value of commonly eggs and effects of cooking. Thai Science and Technology Journal, 23(4), 651-666.
Schillinger, F.L., Mosbacher, J.A., Brunner, C., Vogel, S.E., & Grabner, R.H. (2021). Revisiting the role of worries in explaining the link between test anxiety and test performance. Educational Psychology Review, 33, 1887- 1906.
Suta, S., Surawit, A., Mongkolsucharitkul, P., Pinsawas, B., Manosan, T., Ophakas, S., … Mayurasakorn, K. (2023). Prolonged Egg Supplement Advances Growing Child's Growth and Gut Microbiota. Nutrients, 15(5), 1143.
Tabatabaeyan, A., Lotfi, K., Mirzaei, S., Asadi, A., Akhlaghi, M., & Saneei, P. (2023). The association between egg consumption and metabolic health status in overweight and obese adolescents. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 2778.
Thai Health Promotion Foundation. (2010). Annual report 2010. Retrieved January, 8, 2024 from https://www. thaihealth.or.th/?p=137059
Thanacharoenwat, N. (2021). A study of the management Food and Nutrition in School. Retrieved January, 21, 2024 from https://nutrition2.anamai.moph.go.th/th/download-06/download?id=85361&mid=32009& mkey=m_document&lang=th&did=27550
Thomas, M.S., DiBella, M., Blesso, C.N., Malysheva, O., Caudill, M., Sholola, M., ... Fernandez, M.L. (2022). Comparison between egg intake versus choline supplementation on gut microbiota and plasma carotenoids in subjects with metabolic syndrome. Nutrients, 14(6), 1179.
Trirapongsawat, K., Somtua, J., Khumhirun, S., Phuriwatpakorn, M., Pissawongprakan, P., Rattanapanya, R., Namta, P., & Phonrat, S. (2021). Dietary patterns of behavior in school children, Health area region 7. Journal of Regional Health Promotion Center 7 Khonkaen, 13(2), 23-36.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2018). Egg, whole, cooked, hard-boiled. Retrieved January, 21, 2024 from https:// fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173424/nutrients
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Food Health and Bioenvironmental Science
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
