The Relationship Between Nutritional Status and IQ Scores Of 9-Year-Old Elementary School Children in Jombang Regency

Abstract

Stunting remains a public health problem that can affect children's physical growth and cognitive development. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between nutritional status and IQ scores among 9-year-old children in Islamic elementary schools (MI) and public elementary schools (SD) in Jombang District. An analytic observational study with a cross-sectional design was conducted. The population consisted of 210 children, with 74 respondents selected using purposive sampling. Nutritional status was assessed based on height-for-age (H/A) and body mass index-for-age (BMI/A) indices according to WHO standards, while intellectual ability was measured using Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices (CPM). The association was analyzed using the Chi-square test. The results showed that nutritional status was not significantly associated with children's IQ scores. Among the confounding variables analyzed, only school origin was associated with IQ scores, whereas maternal education and family economic status showed no significant association. The absence of a significant relationship between nutritional status and IQ may be related to the relatively homogeneous characteristics of the respondents and other factors, such as parenting, learning stimulation, school environment, and biological factors. Children's intellectual development is influenced by multiple factors; therefore, efforts to improve cognitive ability should be supported by adequate nutrition, a supportive family environment, and a conducive educational setting.