Shannon E. Whaley|Marian Sigman|Charlotte G. Neumann|Nimrod O. Bwibo|Donald Guthrie|Robert E. Weiss|Susan Alber|Suzanne P. Murphy
The Impact of Dietary Intervention on the Cognitive Development of Kenyan School Children
Neuropsychiatric Research Institute|University of California, Los Angeles|Neuropsychiatric Research Institute|University of California, Los Angeles|University of California, Los Angeles|University of Nairobi|Neuropsychiatric Research Institute|University of California, Los Angeles|University of California, Los Angeles|University of California, Los Angeles|University of Nairobi
previous observational studies developing countries suggested diet quality particularly increased animal source food asf consumption positively associated child cognitive development report presents findings study rural kenya designed test impact three different diets cognitive development school children twelve schools total 555 standard 1 children equivalent us grade 1 randomized one four feeding interventions meat milk energy control feeding feeding continued seven school terms 21 mo cognitive tests administered commencement feeding every term feeding hierarchical linear random effects models associated methods used examine effects treatment group changes cognitive performance time analyses revealed children receiving supplemental food meat significantly outperformed children ravens progressive matrices children supplemented meat children supplemented energy outperformed children control group tests arithmetic ability group differences tests verbal comprehension results suggest supplementation animal source food positive effects kenyan childrens cognitive performance however effects equivalent across domains cognitive functioning different forms animal source foods produce beneficial effects implications findings supplementation programs developing countries discussed