Effect of Iron Deficiency Anemia on Academic Performance among Primary School Children

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor at Pediatric Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Sohag University, Egypt

2 Lecture of Community Health Nursing Beni- Suef University, Egypt

3 Lecture of Pediatric Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, El-Fayoum University, Egypt.

Abstract

Introduction: anemia due to iron deficiency is considered a common global risk
between primary school children that have a serious effect on their academic
performance. The current study aim was to investigate the effect of iron deficiency
anemia on academic performance among primary school children. Design: A
descriptive cross-sectional correlational research design was used. Materials and
methods: included 720 primary school children who selected randomly from two
primary schools at Sohag city in October 2019 aged 6 to 12 years. Tools: A
structured questionnaire filled in by the parents and the Raven Standards
Progressive Matrices test was used to measure cognitive function and school
academic performance. Iron level was determined by measuring hemoglobin and
serum ferritin concentrations. Results: In this study most of primary school
children 82.0% suffered from intellectual deficit. Academic performance on the
Raven Standards Progressive Matrices test was associated significantly with
anemia due to iron deficit (p=0.035). A positive significant relationship was found
between ferritin values and academic performance between children (p=0.001).
Conclusion: anemia due to iron deficiency anemia between children had effect on
academic performance impairments. Recommendation: Encourage health
educational program for parents about children’s nutritional requirements specially
iron requirement and frequent blood testing is required.

Keywords

Egyptian Journal of Health Care
Volume 12, Issue 1
March 2021
Pages 418-432

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