How does Nutrition Affect the Mental Health and Well-being of Primary School Children?
Catherine Wu, Emory University • March 11, 2026
Nutrition, the process of obtaining food for growth and health, plays a key role in child development that greatly involves both mental and physical development (Ossai, 2024). Nutrition strengthens children’s well-being and cognitive development contributing to physical health and supporting the function of the central nervous system (Ossai, 2024). Malnutrition, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) (2016), is the state of “significant deficiencies, which manifest in excesses or imbalances in a child’s nutrient base” (Ossai, 2024). Malnutrition negatively impacts children’s development and mental health, leading to issues such as “low school enrolment, depression, anxiety and low academic achievement and others” (Ossai, 2024). According to Ossai (2024), positive mental health and wellbeing refer to children’s optimal psychological development and quality of life, which should be achieved through adequate nutrition. Thus, this study aims to investigate the impact of nutrition on the mental health and well-being of primary school children in the rural suburbs of Nigeria, where malnutrition in protein-energy and micronutrients is prevalent and severe (Ossai, 2024).
This study uses an ex post facto research design, in which researchers compare preexisting groups without manipulating variables. The researcher obtained a sample of 197 children aged 8 to 12 from five migrant farmers’ primary schools located in Uzo Uwani, a rur,m al suburb of Enugu State, Nigeria, which serve a population of 3,488 children. To measure the children’s well-being and mental health in the context of Nigerian children, the research adopted and made modifications to the Children’s Mental Health Questionnaire (CMHQ) and Children’s Wellbeing Index (CWI). CCMHQ measures children’s mental health using 15 items that assess levels of depression anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and related behaviors on a four point Likert scale. CWI measures children’s well-being through six dimensions: self-acceptance, life satisfaction, personal growth, positive interpersonal relationships, adaptability, and quality of life, using yes/no response questions. Linear regression was further applied to analyze the questionnaire data and identify relationships between nutrition, mental health, and wellbeing.
For the relationship between nutrition and mental health, results show a strong positive correlation between nutrition and children’s mental health in the studied migrant farmers’ primary school in the specified area of Nigeria, with a coefficient of R = 0.915. The coefficient of determination indicates that 83% of the variation in mental health outcomes could be explained by nutritional factors. With a p-value of 0.000 in the linear regression test of nutrition and mental health, it is supported that nutrition is creating a meaningful and positive impact on their mental health. For the relationship between nutrition and well-being, results show that there is a high and positive correlation between nutrition and the well-being of the children in the studied migrant farmers’ primary schools, with a correlation coefficient of R = 0.949. The coefficient of determination of 0.901 showcases that 90% of the variation in the well-being of children who share a similar background with the sample could be explained by nutrition. The p-value of 0.000 from the linear regression test again shows that nutrition has a meaningful effect on their well-being.
The results are important in exploring and strengthening the potential relationship and causation between nutrition and mental health and well-being. Although the results are most appropriately generalizable to primary school children in the selected 5 migrant farmers’ schools in the study area of a rural suburb of Uzo Uwani in Enugu State, Nigeria, the findings further supported the seriousness of malnutrition in impacting children’s wellbeing and mental health. Having results aligned with other studies, they show that nutrition plays a great role in children’s mental health in developing countries (Ossai, 2024). In terms of well-being, this study also provides further confirmation of the results of older studies that demonstrate a relationship between malnutrition and poor well-being (Ossai, 2024). Acknowledging the importance of nutrition in children’s “physical, cognitive, and emotional wellbeing”, it is necessary to address the ongoing issue of malnutrition through further strategies (Ossai, 2024). Possible interventions include improving children’s access to balanced diets and diverse nutrients (Ossai, 2024). Applying the findings and results to our daily life, we should learn to place more attention on children’s daily nutrition habits, eating patterns, or nutritional composition in each meal. Knowing that nutrition has an intimate relationship with mental health and well-being, especially in regions with lower economic status, we could also provide additional support for these regions in nutrition to contribute to improving their mental health and wellbeing.
Author:
Catherine Wu, Emory University
Editor:
Mary Yeboah, Emory University
Article Reviewed:
Ossai, O. V. (2024). Impact of Nutrition on Mental Health and Wellbeing of Primary School Children in a rural suburb of Enugu State, Nigeria. Didaktika: Jurnal Kependidikan, 13(3 Agustus), 2815-2822. https://doi.org/10.58230/27454312.1135
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