Modifiable factors influencing attention performance in healthy children: insights from a comprehensive school nutrition study

There is inconclusive evidence for the effects of various leisure activities on attention performance in children. The literature reports inconsistent associations between activities such as physical activities or media use. To date, no study has thoroughly examined the various factors influencing attentional performance in a larger cohort of healthy children. This study aims to close this research gap.

From 2018 to 2019, the Leipzig School Nutrition Study collected data from 1215 children and their families. The children report their dietary behavior (using CoCu- Questionnaire), especially their participation in school lunch and their breakfast habits, through a paper questionnaire. Furthermore, attention performance was assessed using a validated test (FAIR-2) at school. Data on physical activity, media consumption, family eating habits and socio-economic status (SES) were collected from parents using questionnaires. Associations between attention and influencing factors were estimated using hierarchical linear regression. Analyses were adjusted for age, SES, and school type.

Attending upper secondary schools (ß_adj= 23.6, p < 0.001) and having a higher SES (ß= 1.28, p < 0.001) was associated with higher attention performance. Children doing leisure-time sports (ß_adj= 4.18, p = 0.046) or reading books for at least one hour/weekday showed better attention performance (ß_adj= 3.8, p = 0.040). Attention performance was also better in children having no electronic devices in the bedroom (ß_adj= 13.0, p = 0.005) and in children whose parents limited their children’s Internet access (ß_adj= 5.2, p = 0.012). We did not find any association between nutritional habits and attention performance.

We found that fostering modifiable habits such as reading and physical activity could enhance attention performance. These findings have substantial implications for the development of prevention and intervention programs that aim to improve attention in schoolchildren. It is important to note, however, that social status as a hardly modifiable factor also impacts attention performance. Therefore, interventions should address personal habits in a systemic approach considering the child’s social status.

The study is retrospectively registered with the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00017317, registration: 05-29-2019).