Associations between Diet Quality, Weight Status and Academic Performance in Senior High-School Students in Tehran

Background and Objectives: To study associations in diet quality academic performance and weight status in urban adolescent high-school students. Materials and Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study in high schools in Tehran, Iran. A total of 629 students (317 boys and 309 girls), aging 17–19 years, from 49 high schools participated in the study. Dietary intake was measured using two 24-h recalls. Diet quality was measured using Healthy Eating Index-2015. Academic performance was assessed by evaluating scores achieved in national exams at the end of high-school junior year. Standard anthropometric measurements were used. Linear and multinomial regressions were used to assess the associations between weight status, diet quality and academic performance. Results: Student’s scores in grammar and literature were significantly associated to diet quality (p 0.05). After adjusting for sex and other socioeconomic confounders, the association was non-significant. Significant differences were seen in weight status between boys and girls; however, such differences were not based on the prosperity levels in weight statuses. The overall frequency of overweight was nearly 24%, while obesity was twice in boys (nearly 26%), compared to girls. Conclusions: Findings verify needs of policies to improve student diet quality, leading to better health and educational achievements. Further studies are needed to investigate associations between diet quality and academic performance.