The Study on Intersection of Mental Health and Nutritional Status in Underweight School Children

Abstract

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore the correlation between malnutrition and depression in 486 underweight students of under 12 years old. The anthropometric measurements included height, weight, and head circumference; serum micronutrient levels were analyzed; the participants’ mental health was evaluated; and their cognitive function was tested.

Data analysis showed an inverse relationship between Iron, Zinc and vitamin B12 deficiencies and children’s mental health indicating that a child with poor mental health was likely to deficient in the micronutrients. The correlations between the nutritional status of the subjects and cognitive function as determined by WISC-V were established. Socioeconomic status was established to affect both the nutritional deficiencies and the mental health.

Thus, this study underlines that nutritional and mental conditions of underweight children cannot be considered as isolated but instead as interacting with one another, which requires the integrated approach for successful treatment.