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Impact of Health and Nutrition on Learning Achievements in Primary School

Intersectoral Study on Education and Health: Sri Lanka Situation Analysis 2002

Publisher: The World Bank (WB)

Place of Publish: USA, Washington D.C.

Year: 2002

Page Numbers: 48

Acc. No: 3388

Class No: 612.3 IMP-SL

Category: Books & Reports

Subjects: Nutrition

Type of Resource: Report

Languages: English

Good health is important for education. Children need to attend school regularly to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by schools. Studies in developing countries have shown that poor nutrition, iron deficiency, malaria and helminthic infections affect academic performance and mental ability of the children. Currently, available data on the indicators of iodine deficiency in Sri Lanka offer conflicting evidence regarding the extent of the problem. Health conditions are likely to have an impact on Sri Lankan children’s learning ability such as childhood asthma, neuro-development disorders of childhood, psychological problems and poor eating habits. The report provides the following: 1) a brief review of the health and nutritional disorders that are known to have an impact on educational achievements through absenteeism or through their effect on cognition or learning, 2) a description of the current school health and nutrition programme, 3) an analysis of the health and nutritional status of school-age children, with special reference to protein-energy malnutrition, anaemia, iodine deficiency, malaria, worm infections, vision, hearing and other non-communicable disorders and 4) the identification of gaps in knowledge about the current health and nutrition status of school-age children, particularly relating to conditions that may affect learning outcomes.