School Lunch Consumption Pattern, Academic Performance, and Nutritional Status of Preschool Children in Bwari, Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Nigeria.

This study investigated the school lunch consumption pattern and its relationship with the academic performance and nutritional status of preschool children in Deeray Springfield School and LEA Primary School (ECCE Centre), Bwari, FCT, Nigeria. The study was guided by three research questions and adopted a descriptive research design. The population comprised all 60 Nursery 2 pupils in the two selected schools, consisting of 25 pupils from Deeray Springfield School and 35 pupils from LEA Primary School (ECCE Centre). The entire population was used for the study. Data were collected through a researcher-designed interview, school records, four-week observation of school lunch consumption, anthropometric measurements, and pupils' academic records for three consecutive terms. Frequency and percentage were used to analyse school lunch consumption patterns and academic performance, while WHO-based Z-scores were used to determine nutritional status. The findings revealed that most preschool children consistently came to school with cooked foods, predominantly high in carbohydrates, whereas fewer children brought snacks, mainly sugary substances such as biscuits, snacks, and juice. The nutritional assessment showed that 60% of the children were underweight, 30% were normal, while 10% had low BMI or were stunted. Most children who brought cooked food were categorized as normal, whereas most children who brought snacks were underweight. The findings further showed little or no difference in academic performance between children who brought food and those who brought snacks, indicating that school lunch consumption did not influence their academic performance. The study recommends the introduction of a school meal policy promoting diverse and balanced meals, periodic assessment of children's weight and height, and nutrition education for parents to discourage excessive reliance on sugary snacks.