A study was conducted to assess the effects of omega 3 fatty acids like DHA on behavior and school attendance rates in school children it also assessed whether omega 3 FA administration decreased clinically apparent sick days from malaria as an independent endpoint.
Hostility-Aggression Questionnaire for Children (HAQ-C) and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, version 11 (BIS-11), for measurement of aggression and impulsivity, respectively were administered at the start and end of the study.School attendance was recorded during the study period.
The DHA and EPA concentrations in the total phospholipid fraction in red blood cells were significantly increased in the DHA group, whereas there were no significant changes in any fatty acids concentrations in the control group.
The odds ratios of inability to attend school perfectly during the study period in the DHA group were significantly reduced to 0.30 in boys (n=116, p=0.003) and was non-significantly to 0.56 in girls (n=117, p=0.2) compared with the control group. When both sexes were combined, the odd ratio in the DHA group was reduced to 0.42 compared with controls (n=233, p=0.003).
DHA supplementation may improve the school attendance rate of children.
Hamazaki K, Syafruddin D, Tunru IS, et al. The effects of docosahexaenoic acid-rich fish oil on behavior, school attendance rate and malaria infection in school children-a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Lampung, Indonesia. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008;17(2):258-63.
