EDU 6982 – Educational Inquiry Dr. Karen Smith, Instructor

1. EDU 6982 – Educational InquiryDr. Karen Smith, Instructor Nutrition Group Research Proposal Group Members: Kimberly Robinson, Jessica Rottweiler, Kathe Sehmsdorf, Nick West

2. Research Topic • Topic: Nutrition and Impact on Academic Performance • Question: Is there a correlation between dietary nutrition and performance on the IOWA Basic Skills Test?

3. Research Hypothesis • Hypothesis: There is a positive correlation between dietary nutrition levels and academic performance.

4. Variables and Population • Independent:Dietary Nutrition Levels (Food Choice Inventory) • Dependent: Academic Performance (IOWA Test of Basic Skills) • Population: 11th graders (middle income) in Washington state

5. Review of Literature Effect of a 12 month micronutrient intervention on learning and memory in well nourished and marginally nourished school-aged children: 2 parallel, randomized, placebo-controlled studies in Australia and Indonesia. (2007) • Experimental • Tested: • Mix of micronutrients – marked improvements on verbal learning and memory • Fatty acids - inconclusive • Micronutrients and fatty acids – same as above, fatty acids = no effect • Control (placebo)

6. Review of Literature • The impact of a two-year breakfast program for preschool-aged children on their nutrient intake and pre-academic performance. (1999) • Experimental • Tested: • Effect of School Breakfast Program on cognitive performance • Conclusion: Nutritionally balance breakfast has positive impact on cognitive performance

7. Review of Literature • Effects of Nutrient Intake on Task Performance in a Sample of Inner-City Elementary School Children (2001) • Non-experimental • Conclusion: Food stamp recipients eat more poorly as the month progresses and academic performance coincides

8. Subjects & Sampling Procedures • Subjects: • 500 - 11th grade (middle income) public school students in WA state from rural, urban and suburban school districts • Sampling: • #1 – Convenience (districts in WA that administer ITBS) • #2 - Stratified Random Sampling (urban, suburban, rural) • #3– Volunteer Participants (school administrator permission) • #4– Middle Income Survey respondents selected

9. Instrumentation • ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) • Food Choice Inventory • Assesses food choice behaviors of junior and senior high school students and adults. • Survey question accounting for income bracket

10. Quantitative Research Design • Non-experimental • Simple correlation

11. Learning Process • Originally Experimental • Implementation of school lunch • Challenges: • High cost • Subject compliance • Parental and school permission • Hair sample micronutrient level test • Challenges: • Extremely high cost • Subject compliance • Parental and school permission

12. Learning Process • Non-Experimental • Less costly • No intervention necessary • What Design??? • Original Design • multilevel logistic regression • account for co-variance of socio-economic status with dependent and independent variables • Current Design • simple correlation • account for co-variance of income level status with dependent and independent variables more simply using middle income bracket as qualifier

13. References • The NEMO Study Group. (2007). Effect of a 12 month micronutrient intervention on learning and memory in well-nourished and marginally nourished school-aged children: 2 parallel, randomized, placebo-controlled studies in Australia and Indonesia. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 86(4), 1082-1093. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EJ824000) Retrieved January 22, 2009, from ERIC database. • Walingo, Mary K. and Musamali, Betty. (2008). Nutrient Intake and Nutritional Status Indicators of Participant and Nonparticipant Pupils of a Parent-Supported School Lunch Program in Kenya. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, Vol. 40, No. 5, 298-304. • Florence, M.D., Asbridge, M. & Veugelers, P. (April 1, 2008). Diet Quality and Academic Performance. Journal of School Health, 78(4), 209-215 (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EJ812000) Retrieved January 30, 2009, from ERIC database. • Worobey, John, Rutgers U & Worobey, Harriet S. (1999). The impact of a two-year breakfast program for preschool-aged children on their nutrient intake and pre-academic performance. Child Study Journal, Vol29 (2), 113-131 ((ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EJ 0009-4005) Retrieved February 3, 2009, from ERIC database.

14. References • Worobey, J., Worobey, H. S., Johnson, E. & Hamm, M. (2001, Apr. 21). Effects of Nutrient Intake on Task Performance in a Sample of Inner City Elementary School Children. Society for Research in Child Development Conference. • Wyon, D. P., Abrahamsoson, L., Jartelius, M. & Fletcher, R. J. (1997). An experimental study of the effects of energy intake at breakfast on the test performance of 10-year-old children in school. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, (48), 5-12. • Voiland, A. (November 3, 2008). Rethinking School Lunch. U.S. News & World Report, 145(10), 65. • Taras, H. & Potts-Datema, W. (October 2005). Obesity and Student Performance at School. Journal of School Health, 75(8), 291-295 • Pollit, E. & Mathews, R. (1998). Breakfast and cognition: An integrative summary. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 67(4), 804-813. • Cromer, B.A., Tarnowski, K.T., Stein, A.M, Harton, P. & Thornton, D.J. (1990). The school breakfast program and cognition in adolescence. Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 11 (6), 295-300.