Grant: Operating Grant: Data Analysis Using Existing CDN Databases and Cohorts

The early years of a child's life are important for healthy growth, development, and future success. Good nutrition during this time helps build both the body and the brain, while healthy eating habits help children develop positive relationships with food. How well a child does in school is a strong predictor of their future success, which is why healthy growth and doing well in school are priorities for parents and healthcare providers. In this project, we will look at data from TARGet Kids!, Canada's largest primary care research network for children, to study how kids perform in school, based on standardized tests in Ontario. Specifically, we aim to understand how nutrition in the first five years of life is related to children's reading, writing, and math skills in grades 3 and 6. We also plan to clarify the roles income, child sex, and child weight status play in the relationship between nutrition and provincial standardized test scores. By using detailed data and working with parents and experts in health, nutrition, statistics, and education, our findings will help create tailored nutrition programs to support children's health and success in school.