Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region V
Division of Camarines Sur
GOA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Taytay, Goa, Camarines Sur

MALNUTIRITION AFFECT THE ACADEMIC STANDING

OF THE STUDENT
 INTRODUCTION

A Drop in Center for adopted children is an integral part of society affecting and

influencing it in many ways. The primary purpose of making the adopted children

conscious about nutrition is to provide conditions for and to promote the continuous

growth of the individual in all areas of living, with a view of achieving and maintaining

the democratic way of life. There must be a relationship between food and the health of

the individual, which tends to influence the health of the society in which he lives in. It

has been said that nutrition is a science concerned with the movements of atoms in

man to the movements of man in society. Because of the tremendous population

explosion the supply of food for all people of the world is indeed becoming more critical

every year. As a nutrition educator we have that moral obligation to help the nutrition of

every individual; for improved nutrition is one factor involved in paving the way towards

peace among men. The nutritional status of our communities is a reflection of our

individual nutritional health. Perhaps the most significant factor affecting the nutritional

status of communities is economics. Having sufficient funds to purchase adequate food

supplies is a necessity. Malnutrition is one of the major problems that our country is

facing. This problem can’t be set aside. This won’t choose any victim. It may affect

adults but mostly, it affects the youth. Through this thesis, the writer may acquire

knowledge about the problem, its effects to mankind and some of the factors that will

lead to such a problem.

According to the 6th National Nutrition Surveys there has been a general

improvement between 1998 and 2003 in the country’s overall nutrition situation,

affecting various population groups, as evidenced specifically by reductions in

underweight and stunting among 0-5 and 6-10 years old children. Most of the Filipino
now a day are aware of their health but only few are applying proper nutrition on their

daily living. Theoretical Background of the Study Malnutrition is a state that adversely

affects growth and development of body functions as a result of either an inadequate or

overabundant supply of kilocalories or nutrients to body tissue. According to Walter

Falcon, the head of the Food Research Institute of Stanford University (1984:577). “It

might focus more attention on Africa where the most serious hunger exists rather than

on Southeast Asia. But if only 100 million individuals are clinically malnourished; there

are probably another 200 million to 400 million that go hungry part of the time. If they’re

not in the hospital, they’re not doing too well”. According to Mary Alice Caliendo

(1984:526 ). “Malnutrition and nutritional deprivation are basically problems of poverty of

unequal and inequitable income distribution not only among individuals but among

countries. Malnutrition won’t disappear by simply producing more food or by raising the

overall economic levels of poor nations.

 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

According to Eleanor R. Williams ( 1984:513 ). “ “ Human brains do not live by bread

alone”. Malnutrition causes children to become listless and apathetic. According to

Thomas Polemar, an agricultural economist, ( 1984:515 ). “ The number of people

estimated to be suffering from malnutrition range from 400 million to two-thirds of the

world population”. In his view, food production in developing countries tends to be

understand because taxation is often based on production and because so much

backyard production is locally consumed and never counted. On the other hand, other

authorities insist that much hunger especially in remote rural areas, is inadequately

reported. Larry Minear of the Interreligious Task Force on United States Policy told an

interviewer recently that “ Malnutrition is understated because there are a lot of people

who don’t show up in the planning nets either because the censuses are bad or

because they are not in the market economy and their inability to purchase food isn’t

measured”. If enough food is to be produced to feed the world a number of resources

such as land, water, energy, fertilizer and technology must be available and widely

used. According to Dr. Weston A. Price and Dr. Francis M. Pottenger,

(www.google.com). “ Today as always, the human body requires whole, nutrient-rich

foods in order to achieve optimum health; and the public, more than ever, needs access

to accurate information on healthy diet and life-style”. According to Margaret Newman,

(www.googlesearch.com). “ The theory of health as expanding consciousness was

stimulated by concern for those for whom health as the absence of disease or disability

is not possible”. The theory has progressed to include the health of all persons

regardless of their health status. The theory asserts that every person in every situation,
no matter how disordered and hopeless it may seem, is part of the universal process of

expanding consciousness. A process of becoming more oneself, of finding greater

meaning in life, and of reaching new dimensions of connectedness with other people

and the world. The theory of health as expanding consciousness stems from Roger’s

theory of unitary human beings. Rogers’ assumptions regarding patterning of persons in

interaction with the environment are basic to the view that consciousness is a

manifestation of an evolving pattern of person to environment interaction.

Consciousness is defined as the informational capacity of the system ( in this case, the

human being ); that is, the ability of the system to interact with the environment.

Consciousness includes not only the cognitive and affective awareness normally

associated with consciousness, but also the interconnectedness of the entire living

system, which includes physiochemical maintenance and growth processes as well as

the immune system. This pattern of information, which is the consciousness of the

system, is part of a larger, undivided pattern of an expanding universe. Rogers’

insistence that health and illness are simply manifestations of the rhythmic fluctuations

of the life process is the foundation for viewing health and illness as a unitary process

moving through variations in order – disorder. According to Joyce Fitzpatrick,

(www.googlesearch.com). “ The primary purpose of nursing is the promotion and

maintenance of an optimal level of wellness”. The professional nurse participates in a

multi-disciplinary approach to health in assessing, planning, implementing, and

evaluating programs in regards to how they affect optimum wellness. When assessing

health care needs, the professional nurse incorporates the physical, psychological,

emotional, social, environmental and spiritual aspects of the profession into her daily
routine. Person – the term integrates the concepts of both self and others and

recognizes individuals as having unique biological, psychological, emotional, social,

cultural, and spiritual attitudes. They thrive on honor and dignity, self-evaluation and

growth and development. Throughout a person’s life, many factors develop within a

social setting and interact with a multitude of environments that can significantly

influence that person’s health and wellness. Health – is a dynamic state of being that

results from the interaction of person and the environment. Optimum health is the

actualization of both innate and obtained human potential gleaned from rewarding

relationships with others, goal directed behavior, and expert. Wellness-Illness – is

rooted in the promotion of wellness practices, the attentive treatment of those who are

acutely or chronically ill or dying, and restorative care of people during convalescence.

Metaparadigm – derived from and related to the basic metaparadigm concepts of

person, environment, health and nursing. While much of the research in nursing has

been focused on assisting individuals in their life transitions, whether through phases of

growth and development, or experiences with health and illness, the conceptualizations

of the nursing profession as focused on transitions has not been adequately

researched.
METHODOLOGY

This study aims to find out the effects of making the children nutrition conscious in

relation to malnutrition among children aging 6 to 15 years old . This is done through

research, discussion, personal interview with the children and some social worker. The

diagram show the four major factors that contributed to malnutrition among children,

namely: economic stability of the government center, ignorance about proper nutrition,

media, and peer influences. Through these four factors, we focused our study on the

three aspects of a child, namely: physical, mental, and social aspects. All the data

gathered that were analyzed, interpreted and verified will serve as the writer basis for

study and for proposal to the children in the center aging 6 to 15 years old. 5
The writer have concentrated only on Maybubon, Guimba, Nueva Ecija with 23 children

but this is only random, one social worker, two house parents, and a couple of teachers.

Water resources are from faucets. Electricity is from TARELCO. Environment sanitation

is good due to everyday cleaning of the environment. They practice segregation of

garbage. Health problems encountered mostly in the center are colds, coughs, fever,

skin disease and malnutrition. The study are those children aging 6-15 years of age of

Maybubon. There were 23 respondents: eight females and fifteen males. Also included,

some Barangay Officials, Social worker of the center, and their teachers who are

capable of answering the interview and questionnaires.

Data Gathering: For the gathering of important data and materials, the writer utilized the

descriptive method of research through the proper utilization of the library, conducting

interviews, and giving questionnaires to those children. He was fortunate enough to

have all the access in the library and materials within his reach and helped in the

finalization of the subject matter and also the willingness of those respondents to

participate and answer those questionnaires. First and foremost, the writer looked for

some possible sources in the library for information about Proper Nutrition and also

Malnutrition. Preliminary readings and note taking were done. Interview with some

Barangay Officials, Social Worker and the teachers of the children followed and note

taking were done. While a set of questionnaires were distributed to the children aging 6

to 15 years of age during the discussion. The outcome of the interview and the findings

based on the answers were analyzed and interpreted. Treatment of Data: The results of

the questionnaires distributed were sorted out, tallied and tabulated. The questionnaires

are answerable by checking the options which the respondents feel appropriate. Some
questions are also answerable by yes or no. In each table, options were arranged to the

number of respondents by which it is presented as N. The percentage was computed

with the formula: % = f/N x 100 where f = the number of options checked by a

respondents N = the total number of respondents The percentage was used in statistical

treatment, the percentages was taken by dividing the number of options checked by the

total number of respondents, then the quotient was multiplied by one hundred.

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

In this chapter, the data gathered had been presented in table forms, analyzed and

interpreted. The results were based on the answers to the questionnaires distributed to
the respondents and interview from Barangay Officials, social worker, and teachers.

Table 2 Distribution of the number of children Aging 6 to 15 years old who are physically

malnourished N = 23 RESPONSE FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE MALNOURISHED 18

78% NORMAL 5 22% OVERWEIGHT 0 0% OBESE 0 0% TOTAL: N = 23 100% Table

2 shows the number of children aging 6 to 15 years old who are physically

malnourished. The table has three columns; the first column of the table are the

responses classified into four categories: a. malnourished b. normal c. overweight d.

obese. The second and the third columns are for the frequency and percentage

respectively, while their total is recorded at the bottom. Each category is divided into the

number of cases, 23, and is multiplied by 100 thereby garnering their percentage. 18

Among the 23 children of Pari-an Drop In Center, 18 or 78% falls under malnourished

while 5 or 22% are normal.

The data means that the health status of the children in Maybubon is bad since 78% of

the 23 children are malnourished. This would imply that more children needs enough

food, rest and medications in order to have a normal health status. This would also

imply that the children needs to be educated about proper nutrition like what are those

foods that is healthy to be eaten despite of the limited food resources of the said center.

Factors Contributing to Unhealthy Status or Malnutrition N = 23 FACTORS f(frequency)

PERCENTAGE a. Low income of the Center 2 9% to buy the necessary healthy foods.

b. Lack of knowledge about 7 30% proper nutrition. c. Peer Influence 9 39% d. Media

Influence 5 22% TOTAL: N = 23 100%. It shows the different factors that contributed to

unhealthy status or malnutrition. The table is divided into 3 columns; the first column

refers to the different factors and it is categorized into four, namely: a. low income of the
center to buy the necessary healthy foods b. lack of knowledge about proper nutrition c.

peer influence d. media influence. The second and third column refers to the frequency

and percentage, respectively. Each category is divided into the number of cases, 23,

and is multiplied by 100 thereby garnering their percentage. The respondents choose

peer influence as the major factor that contributed to malnutrition or unhealthy status.

Out of 100%, peer influence garnered 39%, then lack of knowledge about proper

nutrition with 30%, then media influence with 22% and lastly, low income of the Center

to buy the necessary healthy foods with 9%. This table shows that peer influence really

entices the children in the center to eat unhealthy foods such as junk foods, thus,

leading to malnutrition. 20 Table 5 Physical effects of Improper Nutrition that lead to

Malnutrition or Unhealthy Status N = 23

EFFECTS f(frequency) PERCENTAGE Stunted Growth 10 44% Decreased Physical

Ability 7 30% Decreased Weight 6 26% TOTAL N = 23 100% Table 5 shows the

distribution of the physical effects of improper nutrition on children. The table has three

columns, the first column refers to the physical effects of improper nutrition that lead to

malnutrition that is categorized into three: a. stunted growth b. decreased physical

ability and c. decreased weight. The second and third column refers to the frequency

and the percentage, respectively. Among the three categories, stunted growth ranked

first with 44%, then decreased physical activity with 30% and lastly, decreased weight

with 26%. The table implies that the children in the center are really affected physically

because of improper nutrition that may lead to malnutrition. The children are in the state

of not growing normally; they are very weak to do daily activities and having a low

weight below normal. Table 6 Social effects of Improper Nutrition that lead to
Malnutrition or Unhealthy Status N = 23 EFFECTS f(frequency) PERCENTAGE

Inferiority Complex 18 78% Social Discrimination 5 22% TOTAL: N = 23 100% Table 6

shows the social effects of improper nutrition to the children in the center. The first

column of the table represents what are the social effects of improper nutrition that lead

to malnutrition that is categorized into two: a . inferiority complex b. social

discrimination. 21 The second column refers to the frequency and the last column is for

the percentage. This table shows that 78% makes up for inferiority complex which is a

social effect of improper nutrition that lead to malnutrition while social discrimination

yields up to 22%.

This table implies that lack of knowledge about proper nutrition will really lead to

malnutrition and affects the respondents socially. They can’t socialize with others

because of inferiority complex and social discrimination which is because of their poor

health status. Table 7 Mental/Psychological effects of Improper Nutrition that lead to

Malnutrition or Unhealthy Status N = 23 EFFECTS f(frequency) PERCENTAGE a.

Decrease ability to think 6 26% properly 14 61% b. Poor mental development c. Inactive

mind 3 13% TOTAL: N = 23 100% Table 7 shows the psychological effects of improper

nutrition to the children in the center. The first column of the table represents what are

the psychological effects of improper nutrition that lead to malnutrition that is

categorized into three: a. decrease ability to think properly b. poor mental development

c. inactive mind. The second column refers to the number of respondents and the last

column is for the percentage. Among the three categories, poor mental development

ranked first with 61%, then decrease ability to think with 26% and lastly, inactive mind

with 13%. This table implies that lack of knowledge about proper nutrition will really lead
to malnutrition and affects the respondents psychologically. They can’t think properly,

they are also having poor mental development that result to inactive mind. They can’t

communicate effectively to other people because they are not precise with their

thinking. Their idea may not be appropriate with the situation. 22 Table 8 A table

showing the Usual Food Serving in a day at Pari-an Drop In Center TIME USUAL

FOOD SERVINGS BREAKFAST ( 7:00 AM ) Pandesal, hot coffee, milo, dried fish

LUNCH ( 12:00 NN ) Rice, mongo, okra, tomato (kamatis), vegetables that is available

in the center, pork

26. and beef is not usually serve SNACKS ( 3:00 PM ) Banana cue, biscuits, crackers,

usually they eat junkfoods (chichiria) SUFFER ( 7:00 PM ) Rice, noodles, vegetables

that is available in the center, fish, can goods Table 8 shows the usual food serving in a

day at Pari-an Drop In Center. As you see the children at the center is fun of eating junk

food due to peer influence. Most of them are fun of imitating others, “they eat what

others eat “. They are not thinking whether the food they are eating is nutritious or not.

This lack of knowledge about proper nutrition makes the children unhealthy or

malnourished. To avoid this, the children must be educated about proper nutrition, its

use, and its benefits to our body. Most of the children in the center do not eat on time.

Most of the children also do not eat during breakfast because of lack of food supply. It is

sad to say that the children do not eat during breakfast because of lack of food supply in

the center this is also because of their number. Most of the foods serve in the center are

not nutritious except for the fish and vegetables. Usually they eat foods with

preservatives such as those can goods and noodles. The center lacks the resources to

buy foods that are not only presentable but also nutritious. The children usually eat
those foods being offered to them by the visitors. Most of them are fun of eating sweets.

The children must be guided about proper nutrition by making them nutrition conscious

through a informal discussion about proper nutrition and other things that would

promote wellness or health.

Upon examining the respondents answers to the given questionnaires and response

from interviews, the writer found out that:

1. There is need to teach nutrition education since 78% of the children are malnourished

and only 22% are normal. It is good also that nobody of those children are overweight

and obese. 2. Most of the children cannot differentiate which of the foods that is

available in the center that is good for the health and which is not good for the health.

They usually eat those foods what their peers are eating and what they usually see in

the television. 3. Most of the children don’t know the function of nutrients in our body.

They just eat in order for them to survive and not fell the pain of hunger. They don’t

know that the foods they are eating are converted into energy that keeps them going. 4.

Most of the children in the center don’t plan for better nutrition. They just eat the food

that is being served by them by the center. They don’t mind whether they are eating

nutritious food or not. 5. Among the 23 children living at Pari-an Drop In Center, 18 or

78% of them are malnourished and 5 or 22% are in good nutritional status. 6. The

Barangay Officials are really doing there best in working about the health status of the

children. They are doing their best to reach out and to give support to the children living

in the center by doing programs such us as seminars and discussion about proper

nutrition and how they are going to have improve health status. 7. Peer influence ranked
first with 39% when it comes to the different factors that contributed to malnutrition, then

followed by lack of knowledge about proper nutrition with 30%, then media influence

with 22% and lastly, low income of the center to buy the necessary healthy foods with

9%. 8. Majority of the respondents answered that stunted growth is the number one

physical effect of improper nutrition that lead to malnutrition to the children in the center,

then followed by decreased physical ability and lastly, decreased weight. 9. Inferiority

complex is the number one social effect of improper nutrition that lead to malnutrition to

the children in the center, which enables the children to stop socializing with their peers.

CONCLUSIONS
Based on the findings of the study, it is safe to conclude that:

1. Majority of the children aging 6 to 15years old living in Maybubon is malnourished. 18

of them out of 23 are malnourished which denotes a negative sign for the nutritional

status of the children in the center. 2. The Barangay Officials are very concerned in

improving the health status of the children. 3. Peer influence is the major factor that

entices the children to eat junk foods that leads to malnutrition or unhealthy status. 4.

Physical effects of improper nutrition in children 6 to 15 years old causes stunted growth

of individuals and also inferiority complex in relating to their peers.

RECOMMENDATIONS
The following recommendations are hereby offered by the writer: 1.Every teacher must

be teaching the proper use of food and better health. 2. Educational materials should be

needed in teaching nutrition. 3. Their teacher must assign those children in gardening to

have more knowledge on livelihood. 4. Parents in the community who have children

must be invited in the center while demonstration lessons are being done about proper

nutrition and caring for children during seminars. 5. The children need Reading

materials, not only if it is pleasant reading, but also it is essential to present and future

knowledge of those children. people with the concept of good nutrition so that all factors

that hinder proper health could be eliminated.

30. 8. Social worker and teachers should encourage their children to eat nutritious foods

and make sure that the children have enough time to rest and play in order to obtain a

good nutritional health.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Eppright Ercel, N. Pattison, H. Barbour. Teaching Nutrition. Iowa, U. S. A. : Iowa State
University Press, 1971. Rynbergen, Mitchell and Dible, Anderson. Nutrition in Health
and Disease. J.B. Lippincott Co., 1971. Manual for Rural Nutrition Work. Part II Nutrition
Program, June 23,1972. Williams, Eleanor R. Basic Nutrition and Diet Therapy. 1984
pg. 513. De Guzman, Ma. Patrocinio E. Basic Nutrition for Filipino. Manila, Philippines:
Meriam and Webster, Inc., 1988 pp. 231-245. Nutrition Learning Packages. Health
Alert. 102: 83 F 90, pg.213 Nutrition The World Book Encyclopedia. V. 14, pp. 466-470
Nutrition The Colliers Encyclopedia. V. 18, 1990, pp 30-34 The Colliers Dictionary. 1986
Internet Source: www.googlesearch.com www.DOH-Philippines.com
www.yahoosearch.com 27 GLOSSARY