Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, & Rehabilitation Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Nutrients. 2021 Dec 31;14(1):201. doi: 10.3390/nu14010201.
There is an increasing prevalence of poor health behaviors during childhood, particularly in terms of physical activity and nutrition. This trend has occurred alongside a growing body of evidence linking these behaviors to cognitive function. B-vitamins are thought to be particularly important in the neural development that occurs during pregnancy, as well as in healthy cognitive aging. However, much less is known regarding the role of B-vitamins during childhood. Given that preadolescent childhood is a critical period for cognitive development, this study investigated the relationship between specific aspects of nutrition, particularly B-vitamins, and related health factors (e.g., body mass, fitness) on selective attention in children. Children ( = 85; 8-11 years) completed a selective attention task to assess inhibition. Participant's dietary intake was collected using the Automated Self-Administered 24-h dietary assessment tool. Correlations between specific nutrients, BMI, fitness, and task performance were investigated. After accounting for demographic variables and total caloric intake, increased B-vitamin intake (i.e., thiamin and folic acid) was associated with shorter reaction times ('s < 0.05), fitness was associated with greater response accuracy ( < 0.05), and increased BMI was related to increased variability in reaction times ( < 0.05). Together, these findings suggest that aspects of health may have unique contributions on cognitive performance. Proper physical health and nutrition are imperative for effective cognitive functioning in preadolescent children. Targeted efforts aimed at health education amongst this population could ensure proper cognitive development during school-age years, providing a strong foundation throughout life.
儿童时期不良健康行为的流行率越来越高，尤其是在体育活动和营养方面。这种趋势伴随着越来越多的证据表明这些行为与认知功能有关。维生素 B 被认为在怀孕期间以及健康的认知衰老过程中对神经发育特别重要。然而，关于儿童时期维生素 B 的作用知之甚少。鉴于青春期前的儿童期是认知发展的关键时期，本研究调查了营养的特定方面，特别是维生素 B 以及相关健康因素（如体重、健康状况）与儿童选择性注意之间的关系。儿童（=85；8-11 岁）完成了选择性注意任务，以评估抑制能力。参与者的饮食摄入量是使用自动化自我管理的 24 小时饮食评估工具收集的。调查了特定营养素、BMI、健康状况和任务表现之间的相关性。在考虑了人口统计学变量和总热量摄入后，维生素 B 摄入量的增加（即硫胺素和叶酸）与反应时间缩短有关（<0.05），健康状况与更高的反应准确性有关（<0.05），而 BMI 的增加与反应时间的变化增加有关（<0.05）。这些发现表明，健康的各个方面可能对认知表现有独特的贡献。在青春期前儿童中，适当的身体健康和营养对于有效的认知功能至关重要。针对该人群的健康教育的针对性努力可以确保在学龄期期间进行适当的认知发展，为整个生命周期提供坚实的基础。
