School breakfast program and school performance

Nutrition Research Newsletter, Nov, 1989 by Lillian Langseth

SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM AND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE

Nutritional problems that are more common among poor children, such as failure to thrive and iron-deficiency anemia, have been linked to academic problems. To date, however, few studies have documented the benefits of school nutritional programs in improving the academic performance of children raised in poverty. Results of a new study conducted in Massachusetts clearly show significantly beneficial effects from the School Breakfast Program (created by Congress in 1966). Children (grades 3 through 6) from six schools in the Lawrence, Massachusetts, public schools system -- based on need and with parental consent -- were enrolled in the School Breakfast Program at the start of the second semester 1986-1987 school year, when it was offered in this school district for the first time. The majority of children (71%) in the Lawrence system are from low income families; 63% are members of a minority group; and 40% of families receive Aid to Dependent Children. The changes in scores on a standardized achievement test and in the rates of tardiness before and after the School Breakfast Program were compared between participants and (qualified) non-participants. Controlling for other factors, participation in the School Breakfast Program contributed positively to the 1987 Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills battery total scale score and negatively to 1987 tardiness and absence rates. The findings reported here demonstrate improvements in academic performance, absenteeism, and tardiness associated with School Breakfast Program participation among high-risk elementary school children living in or near poverty, confirming that participation in the School Breakfast Program is associated with significant improvements in academic functioning."