Academic performance
Although the positive impact of healthy nutrition and sufficient physical activity on physical health is well documented, much less is known about their effect on mathematical ability and reading comprehension. The study results now show that the math performance of children who receive a healthy lunch and additional physical education at school improves. This improvement was already visible after one year, but after four years these children's math performance was still better than that of children at regular schools. In the language tests, the researchers found no major differences. “These results are interesting in light of the government's recent decision to continue providing financial support for school meals. Healthy nutrition therefore not only contributes to better children's health, but also to improved academic performance,” says Professor Onno van Schayck, professor of preventive medicine at Maastricht University and project leader of the study.
Healthy Primary School of the Future
The long-term GBT project took place from 2015 to 2020 in the Parkstad region of South Limburg. This is an area with relatively widespread health problems among the population. For four years, scientists from Maastricht University compared more than 2,200 children from four project schools and four regular schools. The project schools focused on improving children's health by providing healthy school lunches and physical activities. Afterward, the researchers were shocked by the major differences in the health of children at these eight schools. A foundation has since emerged from the research project, with the aim of rolling out the GBT method to more schools across the Netherlands. The recent study into the influence of healthy nutrition and physical activity on reading and math performance uses previously collected data from the GBT project and the Limburg Educational Agenda, in which schools work closely with Maastricht University.