Effect of Nutrition on Learning among Preschool Children in Chemoge Zone

Nutrition is an important element in children’s growth and development which includes: physical, cognitive and emotional development. The problem of the malnutrition and its effect on brain development, physical and intellectual functioning has tremendous implications. However, owing to the fact that there are limited studies on nutrition and learning, various studies indicate divergent views on the effect of nutrition on learning among preschool children. For this reason, it is not clear whether or not nutrition affects learning in chemoge zone. The main purpose of the study was to find out the effect of nutrition on learning among preschool children in Chemoge Zone. Thirteen public schools and seven private schools, a total of twenty were sampled out in the study. The study findings on the status of nutrition on learning among preschool children revealed that 25% of children took their meals in the kitchen, 50 % of the children took their meals in the makeshift structure and 25 % in the classrooms. Results on extent of nutrition on learning indicated that zero was being financed by the school and NGO, a quarter by parents and NGO, a half by parents and a quarter by the school. Also, the figure indicated that 25% of the school feeding program was financed by the school, parents 50 %, parents and NGO 25 % and school and NGO zero percent. The study concluded that when food is balanced, served in appropriate quantity and within the recommended intervals or frequency children are able to grow, develop well and attain their potential. The study thus recommended that parents should be sensitized on the importance of feeding programs so that they would pay for the meals especially for those in schools that do not provide feeding program.