Abstract

MARQUEZ ACOSTA, Mercedes et al. Influencia del desayuno sobre la funcion cognoscitiva de escolares de una zona urbana de Valencia, Venezuela. ALAN [online]. 2001, vol.51, n.1, pp.57-63. ISSN 0004-0622.

Breakfast influence on cognitive functions of children from an urban area, Valencia, Venezuela. It's well known that physical growth and intellectual activity is influenced by nutritional status. With the purpose of evaluate the fasting effects on the cognitive functions, antropometric state and cognitive functions (logic and school work performance), under fasting and post-breakfast condition were assesed in a group of 68 school children age 9 and 10 years, who studied in a private school (1998-1999). Logic reasoning was measured with Raven test and attention, precision, velocity and fatiga with the Lepez test. The main of the children (80%) were well-nourished and 20% had showed overweight. At breakfast condition all subjects were over 50 percentil for Raven test. Consumption of breakfast influence significativitly on logic reasoning (p<0,001) and school work performance (p<0,01). It is concluded that in these well nourished children, breakfast consumption improved cognitive performance

Keywords : Breakfast; cognitive functions; logic reasoning; school work performance.