Nutritional Status, Wash in Schools, and the Academic Achievement of Public Elementary School Pupils

The purpose of the research was to assess the effect of nutritional status and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in Schools (WINS) on the academic achievement of pupils among public elementary schools in Libona and Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon during the academic year 2019-2020. The study utilized descriptive-correlational and causal research design to gather the necessary data needed. In response to the study’s statement of the problem, mean and standard deviation, paired t-test, Pearson product-moment  correlation, and multiple regression were used. Based on the findings, the feeding program implemented by DepEd to identify severely wasted and wasted pupils has helped the majority of the pupils to attain normal nutritional status. The school officials have highly implemented the WINS in five areas, namely water access, waste management, hygiene, deworming, and health education, but moderately implemented sanitation. The feeding program implemented by the schools has produced better nutritional status to the participants of the study, and the level of academic performance of the pupils has increased after the program implementation. There is no significant relationships between the pupils’ academic achievement and implementation of nutritional status, water access, waste management, deworming, and health education. Whereas sanitation and hygiene are the best significant predictors of students’ academic achievement. Nutritional status, water access, waste management, deworming, and health education failed to predict academic performance, while sanitation and hygiene emerged as the best predictors.

Keywords: nutritional status, water, sanitation and hygiene in schools, academic achievement