A Case Control Study on Scholastic Performance and Breast Feeding Among School Going Children at Government Primary School, Puthupalayam, Namakkal (Dt.)

 

Mrs. G.Maheswari1, Mrs. S. Beaulah2, Mr. A. Arvin Babu3

1Asst. Professor, Dhanvantri College of Nursing, Pallakkapalayam, Nammakkal (Dt)

2Lecturer, Dhanvantri College of Nursing, Pallakkapalayam, Nammakkal (Dt)

3Principal, Dhanvantri College of Nursing, Pallakkapalayam, Nammakkal (Dt)

Corresponding Author Email: mahipraneeth@gmail.com

 

ABSTRACT

Breast-feeding, influence children’s academic achievement through brain development and general health. The  purpose  this  study  was  to  identify the relationship between the breast feeding and scholastic performance. The  main  objective  of  this  study  is  to  find out the association between the Scholastic Performance And Breast Feeding  among cases  and controls. 30 School Going Children at Government Primary School, Puthupalayam, Namakkal (Dt) were selected by purposive sampling technique identified 8 cases and 22 controlsi. The data were collected from the school teachers and parents. The calculated Odds ratio was 5.714. The study concluded that the academic performance of children who were breast more than 6 months was higher than the children who were breast less than 6 months

 

The researcher adopted Pre experimental, one group pre-test, post-test design. Based on the sampling criteria the researcher selected 46 care givers and 30 of them were selected on the lottery method for the analysis of the study scores. The educational programme was conducted in groups in six sessions. The tools, Socio demographic profile of both caregivers and patients and Knowledge Assessment Checklist of Schizophrenia Relapse Prevention were used to collect data. Analysis is done by Paired t-Test by Comparison of pre and post test values for the effectiveness of the structured programme and to check the association with socio demographic variables Pearson correlation and independent t-Test were employed.

 

KEY WORDS: Breast-feeding, Scholastic Performance, cases and controls, Odds ratio

 

INTRODUCTION:

“Breastfed Children Do Better at School”

Many Researchers have shown that breastfeeding causes children to do better at school.

(Dr Almudena Sevilla Mar. 17, 2011)

 

The research conducted by Oxford University and the Institute for Social and Economic Research, Essex University, found that as little as four weeks of breastfeeding for a newborn baby has a significant effect on brain development, which persists until the child is at least 14 years old. www.sciencedaily.com

 

In the latest analysis of the academic performance of children who were breast- or bottle-fed, researchers found that breast-fed babies scored higher on tests of math, reading and writing skills at 10 years old, compared with those who were bottle-fed as babies. In a 2009 paper, scientists at American University reported that among brothers and sisters one of whom received breast milk, and the other formula each additional month that a sibling received breast milk was linked to a higher high school GPA and a greater likelihood of attending college. (More on Time.com: Similac Recall Outrages Parents: Are Beetles Bad?)

 

 

In the latest trial, led by Wendy Oddy at University of Western Australia, more than 1,000 children were followed from before birth to age 10. The mothers were asked about whether they breast-fed their infants when their babies were 1, 2 and 3 years old; the children then took standardized national achievement tests in the third, fifth and seventh grades.

 

Oddy’s group found that by age 10, the children who were breast-fed for six months or longer scored 16 points higher on these tests than those were not breast-fed: babies who breast-fed scored 18 points higher in reading and writing skills, and 16 points higher in spelling.

 

OBJECTIVES

1.       Assess the level of Scholastic Performance Among  cases and controls

2.       Find out the association between the Scholastic Performance And Breast Feeding  among cases  and controls

3.       Find out the association between the Scholastic Performance and their selected demographic variables of cases and controls

 

OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS

Cases: School going children whose scholastic performance was below average

Controls: School going children whose scholastic performance was average and above

 

HYPOTHESIS

·         H1 There is a significant association between the Scholastic Performance And Breast Feeding among cases and controls

·         H2 There is a significant association between the Scholastic Performance and their selected demographic variables of cases and controls

 

METHODOLOGY:

Research approach

Epidemiological research approach

 

Research design

Case control design

 

Table 3.1 Diagrammatic representation of research design

Breast feeding

Scholastic performance –below average

Scholastic performance-average and above

Less than 6 months

a

b

More than 6 months

c

d

Total

a+c       

b+d

 

Setting of the study

Government Primary School In Puthupalayam, Namakkal (Dt)

 

Variables

Scholastic performance and breast feeding

 

Population

School going children

Sample

School going children Government Primary School In Puthupalayam, Namakkal (Dt)

 

Sample size

30 samples (15 cases and 15 controls)


 

RESULTS:

Table 4.1 Frequency and percentage distribution of cases and controls according to their demographic variables.

S.

No

Demographic

Variables of school going

Scholastic performance –below average

Scholastic performance-average and above

Frequency

Percentage (%)

Frequency

Percentage (%)

1.

Age in years

6

7

8

 

2

2

5

 

22

22

56

 

8

9

4

 

38

43

19

2.

Sex

Male

Female

 

4

5

 

44

56

 

7

14

 

33

67

3.

Standard

1st

2nd

3rd

 

2

3

4

 

22

33

45

 

8

8

5

 

38

38

24

4.

Education of mother

Educated

illiterate

 

3

6

 

33

67

 

12

9

 

57

43

5.

Education of father

Educated

Illiterate

 

6

3

 

67

33

 

18

3

 

86

14

6.

Occupation of mother

Employed

Un employed

 

3

6

 

33

67

 

10

11

 

48

52

7.

Type of family

Nuclear

Joined 

 

6

3

 

67

33

 

18

3

 

86

14

 

Sampling technique

Purposive sampling technique

SAMPLING CRITERIA:-

Inclusion criteria

School going with

q   Both the gender

q    Studying I, II and III standard

  Who is present during the period of data collection

 

Table 4.2 Association between the Scholastic Performance and Breast Feeding among cases and controls

Breast feeding

Scholastic performance–below

average

Scholastic performance-average

and above

 

 

Odds ratio

5.714

Less than 6 months

2

1

More than 6 months

7

20

Total

9

21

 

Estimation of risk of poor scholastic performance

The estimated risk of poor scholastic performance among school going children who were breast fed less than 6 months is more (22.2%) than who were breast fed more than 6 months (4.8%).

 

Odds ratio

Odds ratio between the Scholastic Performance and Breast Feeding among cases and controls showed 5.714. It implies that there is 5.714 times risk for poor scholastic performance who were breast fed less than 6 months

 

Table 4.3 Chi square value of association between the Scholastic Performance and their selected demographic variables of cases and controls

Demographic

Variables of school going

Df

     ᵡ²

Value

Table 

value

Level

of significance P-(0.05) level

Age in years

2

1.9

5.99

Not significant

Sex

1

.7

3.841

Not significant

Standard

2

0.95

5.99

Not  Significant

Education of mother

1

0.8

3.841

Not significant

Education of father

1

0.7

3.841

Not significant

Occupation of mother

1

0.5

3.841

Not significant

Type of family

1

0.6

3.841

Not  Significant

 

The obtained ᵡ² values reveal that there is no significant association between the Scholastic Performance and their selected demographic variables of cases and controls

 

NURSING IMPLICATION

NURSING EDUCATION:

By mass health education and through innovative measures nurse should educated regarding the breast feeding and its association with the academic performance.

 

NURSING PRACTICES:

The proper measures to be practiced regarding self care in community settings by proper education.

 

 

RECOMMONDATION:

v  The present study can be conducted as a cohort study.

v  The replication of the present study can be conducted with large samples.

v  A comparative study can be conducted in different school with same age group.

v  The same study can be conducted as a comparative study in between urban and rural area.

 

REFERENCES:

1.        Denies, F. Polit., Cheryl Tatano, Nursing Principles And Methods. 7th Edition. Lippincott William Wilkins Publication. Newyork. . (2002).

2.        Marlow D. R. And Redding B.A. . (2002). Text Book Of Peadiatric Nursing. W.B. Saunderscompany. . (2002).

3.        Sundar Rao, Introduction to Biostatics. 4th edition. Vegas publications (P) Ltd. New Delhi, (1998).

4.        http://healthland.time.com/2010/12/20/want-smarter-kids-consider-breastfeeding/

 

 

 

 

Received on 07.08.2013          Modified on 08.10.2013

Accepted on 12.12.2013          © A&V Publication all right reserved

Asian J. Nur. Edu. & Research 4(1): Jan.-March 2014; Page 111-113