How Hunger Affects Children's Learning Abilities; Studies Says Hunger Impacts a Child's School Performance

In a study by Foodbank, teachers observed that students who skipped breakfast had difficulty concentrating and had low energy levels. One in four teachers stated that those students are more likely to have poor health and get sick more often than other students.

Some 82 percent of teachers reported that their workload increased as they found it hard to perform effectively, with 73 percent of hungry students having difficulty concentrating. At least 66 percent are lethargic, 54 percent have learning difficulties, and 52 percent display behavioral problems.

More than 40 percent of households in the United States live below the poverty level, which means hunger affects many families. Around 13 million American children are at risk of hunger, with 1 in 6 experiencing hunger.

According to "No Kid Hungry," a 2017 research, 22 million rely on free school lunches. Teachers have reported that 74 percent of students who regularly go to school are hungry. Parents sometimes send their children without eating meals, making it hard for them to learn and focus, Resilient Educator reported.

Effects of hunger on children's performance and development

According to "Trends and Issues in Child Undernutrition by the United Nation's Children Fund," children who are not sure where their next meal will come from appear to be shorter than average height for their age or are underweight. Also, many kids experience learning disabilities and other cognitive impairments.

Such cognitive concerns roots in significant impacts of hunger: inability to focus and excessive absences due to illness. Mainly, it is hard for a child to focus when encountering the unbearable effects of chronic hunger. According to Kids Health, when a child is hungry, the immune system will suffer due to a lack of vital nutrients. This will lead to repeated illness which can also result in absences in school and makes it impossible for kids to keep up with school work.

The American Psychological Association (APA) confirmed that hunger for education has psychological effects. Hunger can cause mental health issues in children, such as depression, anxiety, and withdrawal, per Borgen Project.

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How does hunger affect children's brains?

Sibylle Kranz, an associate professor of Kinesiology and a registered dietitian nutritionist in the Curry School, says there is solid evidence that hungry children have a low attention span and behavioral and discipline issues. 

Kate Wengier, a family dietitian, states that kids' brains are still growing and changing every day, and as the brain evolves, a child's intelligence comes along. Wengier says that brains control what a body does, which means that the right nutrients must be provided to a child, and it will not happen if a child skips a meal.

According to Healthy Food, studies show that eating matters because besides improving children's school performance, eating enhances a child's resilience, mental health, social connection, and language skills.

Providing kids with appropriate food helps support both growth and development as well as their learning and mood.

Related Article: Eating Habits: Feeding a Child With Autism Spectrum