Effect of Serum Selenium on the Learning Outcomes of Young Girls Studying in Sokoto

There is a need for proper nutrition for the growth and development of the human body, especially during the early years of education. Failure to have good nutrition elicits effects such as poor functioning of the body system or parts such as the brain (nervous system), which is responsible for the effect on learning and other cognitive activities. This study aimed to examine how the level of selenium in the body relates to the learning outcome of young girls in Sokoto, Nigeria. A cross-sectional semi-experimental design involving a sampling of 250 girls studying in Sokoto was carried out. The determination of selenium was done using standard methods of atomic absorption spectroscopy. The results (p<0.05) indicate that, according to age, 10-12 years old participants had serum selenium within the range of 1.01-1.60 umol/L (56.0%); 13-15 years old girls had 0.76-1.0 umol/L serum selenium level (34.0%); while girls of more than 16 years had 0.40-0.75 serum selenium (of which 2.8%) are deficient, and 7.2% are sufficient). Overall, 90.0% (225 girls) had normal selenium levels, while 10.0% (25 girls) had deficient selenium levels. An examination of the effect on learning outcome shows that normal girls scored a mean value of 52.90±12.22, while deficient girls had a score of 32.85±11.84. Therefore, to improve the learning and other activities of the girls, there should be efforts to help youngsters obtain a proper diet.