Process Post: Examining Nutritional Options for Busy College Students
I wanted to go from interviewing coworkers to researching in a more objective manner. I wanted to find out how students could use nutrition to improve their energy, concentration and performance throughout school, work and sports.
After conducting the interview to get information on breakfast, lunch and energy at work; I was interested to review academic references on a few topics (breakfast, hydration, cognitive performance) that are similar to those mentioned previously and also examine the barriers of time that prevent students from consuming healthier foods.
What I Found
An article that I reviewed discussed the quality of breakfast and cognitive performance among university students from Mexico City. Since the source examined university students, I thought it would be relevant to my inquiry. The author used the Stroop Test as one measure of cognitive performance. The results indicated that students who consumed low-quality breakfasts took longer to complete certain cognitive tasks. This supports my inquiry since the ability to concentrate and react quickly affects both school, work and sports.
A second article referenced by Brandley and Holton compared college students with and without ADHD. I liked this reference since it evaluated the students prior to and post consuming a nutritionally-balanced breakfast. Following breakfast consumption, both groups improved in a variety of aspects of cognitive function such as reaction time and executive function. As I read this reference, I began to consider the value of a well-balanced breakfast with protein, carbohydrates and fat instead of simply “eating something.”
In addition, a third article investigated dehydration and rehydration in male college students. Although this article extended my inquiry beyond food and included hydration; I appreciated this extension. The authors found that dehydration had negative effects on mood, memory (short term), attention and reaction time, whereas rehydration had positive effects on fatigue, memory (short term), attention and reaction time. As such, I believe that the article provides additional insight regarding hydration that will benefit busy students that have trouble drinking enough water during class, work/sports or online courses.
Lastly, my final source that I found provided insight into how young adults balance healthy meals with busy lives. Since the article addressed why students experience difficulty in maintaining a healthy diet; I felt that it was particularly valuable. Young adult participants identified numerous reasons for struggling to maintain a healthy meal routine. For example, many participants identified that their very hectic school/work schedules resulted in less opportunities to consume regular/healthy meals or prepare meals themselves. Therefore, this article assisted me in recognizing that my inquiry cannot merely focus on providing optimal dietary recommendations. Rather, it needs to address practical strategies that students can realistically apply.
So What?
Overall, these articles illustrate the relationship between nutrition and learning in two primary ways. First, nutrition can influence how students feel and perform. Specifically, food/hydration may positively/negatively impact attention, energy/mood and cognitive performance (e.g., breakfast quality/balanced meals/water intake).
Secondly, although many students are aware of the importance of healthy behaviors/lifestyle choices; time is frequently cited as the major reason for failure to adhere to a healthful regimen. For instance, a student may be fully aware that breakfast/hydration are essential components of a productive day; however, due to their hectic schedule (i.e., going to class/work/practice), they choose to forego having breakfast because they do not have sufficient time.
This is significant to Distributed Online Learning since many online students have greater autonomy over their daily routines. Traditional classrooms provide students with structured days. With greater freedom comes more responsibility. Self-managing routines requires decision making on when to wake-up, when to eat, when to break, when to study and how to remain focused. Nutrition plays a role in self-managed learning since students are responsible for developing healthy habits that enable them to be prepared for learning.
From an educational standpoint this has implications because learning is dependent upon more than simply accessing appropriate curriculum content. An online learner may have excellent online resources (recorded lectures/digital tools); yet if they are tired/hungry/dehydrated/distraught they may continue to face challenges in their ability to learn effectively. Therefor, nutrition fits within larger picture of a student’s readiness for learning.
My reflection
I think one of the things I found most interesting about this research is it doesn’t always provide a clear-cut, straightforward “because you ate breakfast” solution. Eating breakfast alone doesn’t guarantee a good day at school. There are so many other factors (like sleep, stress levels, family income, class schedules, access to food, amount of homework) which all contribute to how a student performs in school.
Some of the research was limited by its design; for example, some studies were based on very small samples or focused on only certain subgroups of students. Therefore, I need to make sure my question doesn’t lead people to believe that nutrition is the sole factor contributing to student success.
On the flip side, I think the evidence clearly shows there are value-added nutritional habits and practices that should be considered. While breakfast, hydration, etc., may seem minor, if practiced consistently, these habits could positively impact student’s moods and focus throughout their days.
refences:
Brandley, E. T., & Holton, K. F. (2020). Breakfast Positively Impacts Cognitive Function in College Students With and Without ADHD. American Journal of Health Promotion, 34(6), 668–671. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890117120903235
Pelletier, J. E., & Laska, M. N. (2012). Balancing Healthy Meals and Busy Lives: Associations between Work, School, and Family Responsibilities and Perceived Time Constraints among Young Adults. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 44(6), 481–489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2012.04.001
Sámano, R., Hernández-Chávez, C., Chico-Barba, G., Córdova-Barrios, A., Morales-del-Olmo, M., Sordo-Figuero, H., Hernández, M., Merino-Palacios, C., Cervantes-Zamora, L., & Martínez-Rojano, H. (2019). Breakfast Nutritional Quality and Cognitive Interference in University Students from Mexico City. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(15), 2671. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16152671
Zhang, N., Du, S. M., Zhang, J. F., & Ma, G. S. (2019). Effects of Dehydration and Rehydration on Cognitive Performance and Mood among Male College Students in Cangzhou, China: A Self-Controlled Trial. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(11), 1891. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16111891