EFFECT OF HEALTHY EATING HABITS ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF GRADUATING STUDENTS

Abstract

INTRODUCTION This study was necessary as most graduating students were studying hard but, for some, academic achievement was not achieved as expected, leading to disappointment. When students move to undergraduate courses, their lifestyles changed. Diet, is relevant in that can help them achieve higher academic performance. OBJECTIVE The present research work was undertaken to examine the effect of a healthy diet on the overall academic performance of graduating students in India. METHODS For the study, 279 students from RTM Nagpur University were used as sample size and were selected randomly. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the responses from the participants. Student academic achievement was evaluated based on their semester grade point average scores. RESULTS Results obtained state a strong and positive association between a healthy diet and academic performance. Results confirmed the hypothesis that if students adopt the practice of having a daily healthy diet their academic performance will improve. CONCLUSION Many students at this university have habits of skipping breakfast or taking it a few times a week but not daily. Also, they are not generally good at eating healthy foods. This directly affects their performance in academic work. Therefore, parents are advised to keep a strict check on these habits.