Nutritional status-based verbal and performance intelligence of Lambani community school chidren of Karnataka

The present study on verbal and performance intelligence based on nutritional status of 135 Lambani community school children was conducted at Hoovinahadagali Taluk, Bellary district during 2012–13. The children of 9–11 years of age studying in 4^th and 5^th standards were randomly selected from 5 government primary schools. Nutritional status was assessed through height and weight of students and academic achievement through previous year grades. Further the intelligence was assessed through WISC-III (Wechsler intelligence test for school children). The results revealed that there was highly significant differences in mean height and weight of children with respect to NCHS (national council for health statistics) norm values. It was noted that nutritional status was positively and highly significantly correlated and associated with intelligence quotient of school children. Among 75 Lambani children 40 per cent possessed normal nutritional category and 60 per cent exhibited other category of malnutrition (wasted, stunted, wasted and stunted). The total mean score of verbal intelligence was found highest (19.23±3.96) in normal children followed by 13.6±3.76 in stunted, 12.41±2.65 in wasted and 11.34±2.78 in wasted and stunted children. Normal children secured highest performance intelligence mean score (30.3±16.31) followed by stunted (21.91±16.60), wasted and stunted (17.7±15.68) and wasted (16.78±15.08) group of children. There was significant difference observed between the groups in each sub-test of verbal and performance intelligence which indicates that normal children performed better than malnourished children.