THE EFFECT OF NUTRITION ON THE HEALTH STATUS OF PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED CHILDREN IN SCHOOL OF SPECIAL NEEDS IN NIGERIA (A CASE STUDY ORU EAST LGA IMO STATE)

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the effects of nutrition on the health of the physically impaired children of school of special needs of Oru East Local Government, Imo State. The subjects used consisted of (100) one hundred students randomly selected from five (5) classes from the school of special needs in Imo State. A structure questionnaire designed by the investigator was used to collect data for the study. Percentage and chi-square (x2) were used to analysed the data. The result showed that nutrition has effect on the physical performance of the physically impaired children. Nutrition has effects on the health of the physically impaired children. The family status has influence on the nutritional intake of the physically impaired children. The result further shows that nutrition has effects on the mental ability of physically impaired children. The following recommendation are therefore suggested that students should be educated on nutrition through talks, seminar and television programmes organized for this purpose in a daily basis. Nutrition should be more well taught, that is, the teaching of nutrition should be more effective in secondary schools. Teachers should take it as a challenge to further educate these stronglling children and stress the importance of balance diet to both parents and children who are ignorance those variable that have effects on physically impaired children health. Government should endeavour to make provisions on the concept of good health on the physically impaired children.