The Effects of Nutritional Interventions on the Cognitive Development of Preschool-Age Children: A Systematic Review.

The developing human brain requires all essential nutrients to form and to maintain its structure. Infant and child cognitive development is dependent on adequate nutrition. Children who do not receive sufficient nutrition are at high risk of exhibiting impaired cognitive skills. This systematic review aimed to examine the effects of nutritional interventions on cognitive outcomes of preschool-age children. PubMed, PsycInfo, Academic Search Complete, and Cochrane Library electronic databases were searched to identify Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) published after the year 2000. Studies assessing the effects of food-based, single, and multiple micronutrient interventions on the cognition of nourished and undernourished children aged 2-6 years were deemed eligible. A total of 12 trials were identified. Eight out of the twelve studies found significant positive effects on cognitive outcomes. Iron and multiple-micronutrients supplementation yield improvements in the cognitive abilities of undernourished preschool-age children. Increased fish consumption was found to have a beneficial effect in the cognitive outcomes of nourished children. On the other hand, B-vitamin, iodized salt, and guava powder interventions failed to display significant results. Findings of this review highlight the importance of adequate nutrition during preschool years, and the crucial role sufficient nutrition plays in cognitive development.

The Impact of School Meal Programs on Educational Outcomes in African Schoolchildren: A Systematic Review.

Malnutrition and hunger can lower a child's ability to learn effectively. Many countries in Africa experience high rates of childhood undernutrition, and school feeding programs are a common tool used to address this challenge. A systematic review was conducted to evaluate the effect of school-provided meals on educational outcomes in preschool and primary school children. Specific outcomes of interest in this review included test scores, attendance, and enrollment rates. PubMed and Scopus were used for an electronic search of relevant studies. Studies included in this review were randomized and non-randomized controlled trials, prospective cohort studies, controlled before-after studies, and pre/post-test design studies published in the past 10 years in English in sub-Sahara Africa. Findings from the nine studies included in this review suggest a positive correlation between school feeding programs and educational outcomes. Although mealtime may reduce classroom time, the benefits of providing a meal outweigh the potential loss of learning time because hungry children may not learn as effectively. In conclusion, it is recommended that school meal programs be implemented and expanded. To improve general wellbeing and learning capabilities of children, school meals should be employed starting at a young age. More research on school feeding programs is needed concerning the preschool age group (2-5 years), as there is a limited amount of information in this area.

Looking For Food: Food Access, Food Insecurity, and the Food Environment in Rural Mississippi.

Mississippi has the highest food insecurity rate in the nation, and while the overall pattern of food insecurity has declined in the United States, for Mississippians it has plateaued, remaining significantly higher than prerecession rates. In addition, the food environment of the state is characterized by low healthy food access, high persistent poverty, and a primarily rural landscape. This translational research seeks to bridge thinking on agriculture policy, nutrition, food access/food insecurity in seeking to understand the paradox between obesity and poverty in rural Mississippi. Examining food system opportunities as potential solutions to food access and healthy outcomes is explored.