CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKROUND

Introduction

Consumption of improper foods has an effect on children's behavior and overall

health, particularly in elementary school. Poor nutrition can leave students' susceptible to
illness or lead to headaches and stomachaches, resulting in school absences (Brown,
Beardslee, & Prothrow-Stith, 2022). Junk food is addictive due to heavily added sugar
and salt content, it's like asking a smoker to quit smoking when we all know it is
addictive. In accordance to Brown, Beardsle, and Prothrow 2022, it has a number of
significant effects to take into consideration. In addition, it may have an impact on a
student's behavior in ways including hostility, sugar highs, depression.

Convenience and taste are only two of the many reasons why unhealthy eating might be
alluring. Flavoring, certain solutes (Salt, sugar, MSG, and the 5'-nucleotides in solution)
in foods contribute most to food pleasure. MSG, interestingly, does not have that much
taste on its own either; kind of brothy and a little salty, but add sodium chloride to it, and
the hedonic flavors just explode! (JamesClear 2022). When these factors come together, it
is impossible for elementary school pupils to resist the allure of unhealthy food. It is not
only delicious, but it also pleases their taste buds with the variety of flavors that these
foods can provide. Due to the numerous solutes in their bodies, this has an impact on a
student's health and behavior. It can lead to obesity, diabetes, fatty liver, depression, sugar
highs, and hyperactivity, which may interfere with their ability to focus in class and their
studies.

Food availability and affordability are another factor, which cause students' eating
behavior. Unhealthy foods is affordable and widely available so it is easier to get and
choose. This trend is often found among elementary students especially on school, food
stalls mostly provide junk foods. So while on their canteen, there is no other choice
except cheap junk foods, this is the cause of students' unhealthy eating behavior. In line
with research (Berliandila & Hakim, 2021) stated that most students understand the
importance of nutritional knowledge and eating behavior, but many people still do not
implement healthy eating behavior by consuming nutritious food to meet daily calorie
needs. Furthermore, the findings showed that peers have an influence on food choices
caused by students' busy schedules during the day when they are on the school, it often
results in students having meal times which is not regular, especially if the student is not
good at managing their time for themselves, resulting most of them prefer eating
unhealthy foods.

Every individual has certainly felt that he wants to eat, not because of hunger but for
emotional or social reasons (Woolfolk, S. et al, 2019). Some students will eat more than
usual if they are stressed about facing lecture assignments that they think are a lot or
difficult. There is an individual's desire to eat which is not caused by hunger but is
triggered by internal emotional conditions such as depression or worry. Their desire to eat
will grow to an unsustainable level, and they won't realize that it's affecting not just their
physical but also their mental health, which will lead to more misery. This could also
effect their mental health through adulthood in lacks of essential nutrients, such as
vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids, can result from eating unhealthy meals,
which is bad for brain growth and function. This may affect mental health in general,
mood regulation, and their ability to think clearly. More importantly unhealthy eating
habits, particularly in adolescence and early adulthood, can lead to weight gain and
obesity, which are risk factors for depression, low self-esteem, and problems with body
image.

In general, Samal North Elementary students need to understand the dangers of regularly
consuming unhealthy foods in order to prevent such unnecessary impacts. Overindulging
in junk food which is heavy in sugar, salt, and harmful fats can result in weight gain,
exhaustion, sluggishness, and a higher chance of developing chronic illnesses like
diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Instead, eating a diet high in nutrients can improve
mood, boost mental health, and help Samal North elementary students achieve better
learning results.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The general problem of the study is; What are the impact of eating unhealthy foods
to the behavior of elementary students?
 Specifically, this study sought to answer the following questions;

1. What is the demographic profile of the students;

1.1 age;
1.2 sex;
1.3 Body Mass Index (BMI)
1.4 grade level
1.5 pocket money

2. How can eating of unhealthy foods affect the students behavior in terms of:

2.1 activeness

2.2 mental health

2.3 hostility

2.4 hyperactivity

2.5 temper

3. What are the cause of elementary students eating unhealthy foods?

3.1 affordable

3.2 availability

3.3 appetizing

3.4 flavorful

3.5 habit

4. Is there a significant impact between factors affecting the behavior of the

elementary students in terms of being grouped according to their demographic profile in
terms of sex, age, BMI , grade level and their pocket money?

5. Is there a significant impact between factors affecting the behavior of the

respondents in terms of: activeness, mental health, hostility, and temper?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

 The study explores the impacts of unhealthy foods on the behavior of
elementary students. This research provide awareness on how can unhealthy foods could
affect student’s behavior in class, apprise the canteen staffs, approach the teachers and
limiting the consumption of unhealthy foods of students and encouraging their parents to
forbid their child in eating unhealthy foods. In this way, they could control the students
addictiveness in consuming a lot of unhealthy food which would not be beneficial for
them, pertaining to their health and behavior.

Students

It will serve as way to inform students’ about the potential negative effects of
eating unhealthy foods. The students will be able to learn on how they could avoid the
negative effects in consuming unhealthy foods with the awareness gained through this
study. Moreover, this could help them improve their academic performance and maintain
a healthy and balance diet without suffering from any physical or mental problems.

Canteen staffs

By understanding the impact of unhealthy food on students' behavior, canteen

staff can tailor their menu offerings to prioritize nutritious options. This can lead to
improved concentration, mood stability, and academic performance among students. By
educating students about the effects of unhealthy eating. Canteen staff empower them to
make healthier choices, promoting long-term well-being. Additionally, providing
nutritious meals can contribute to a more positive school environment by reducing
disciplinary issues associated with poor dietary habits. Lastly, prioritizing healthy food
options not only benefits student’s physical health but also enhance the students’ mind to
eagerly learn and grow.

Teachers

Instructors who are aware of how unhealthy foods affects conduct in the
classroom, may change their methods to better meet the requirements of their students,
which will enhance classroom management and create a more positive learning
environment. Teachers can support nutritious food selections in schools and potentially
improve student’s overall health outcomes by encouraging healthy eating habits. Teachers
can detect kids who may be experiencing nutritional deficiencies or other underlying
health issues by understanding the connection between diet and behavior. This allows for
prompt action and assistance — encouraging kids to understand the value of a balanced
diet gives them the ability to make better decisions, which supports their long-term
health. In the end, teachers who are aware of the consequences of eating poorly can be
extremely helpful in developing a learning environment in the classroom that supports
academic achievement.

Parents

This research will help the parents by setting a healthy eating priority for their
kids and taught them that unhealthy food affects behavior and academic achievement.
Better learning results can be achieved by offering balanced meals and snacks, which can
improve not only the physical abilities but also the mental abilities. Parents create the
groundwork for their children's long-term physical and mental health by modeling good
dietary habits. In the end, parents are empowered to make decisions that promote their
children's general growth and success when they are aware of the connection between
diet and behavior.

Researchers

We can gain information about what can unhealthy foods can affect our
health as well as our behavior. By doing this, we can control what we eat and prevent
ourselves from ingesting excessive amounts of sugar and calories, which can lead to
wvariety of illnesses.

Future Researchers

Future researchers will be able to investigate further what additional

problems unhealthy eating habits can cause and discover ways to prevent those illnesses.
Through an awareness of the particular behaviors that are affected by unhealthy eating
choices, effective treatments can be developed to address these problems. This
information can also help with the creation of lesson plans that encourage students to
adopt healthy eating habits and raise their level of awareness. Additionally, this research
results can help determine the long-term health consequences of consuming unhealthy
foods to a student, which may help develop later-life prevention strategies for many
health illnesses.

Scope and Delimitation

In this study, it will show the impact of eating unhealthy foods on the behavior
of students in Samal North Elementary School in Bataan, focusing on the goals,
investigating how it affects the child's health and education.

The population of the study will be from the students of Samal North
Elementary School, who are in grade levels from 1 to 6. The variables that are needed to
conduct this studies are their sex, age, Body Mass Index (BMI), grade level and pocket
money. This research examines the effect of consuming unhealthy foods especially
among young students. Furthermore, based on the effects, eating unhealthy foods should
be limited inorder to avoid malicious illnesses especially at such a young age and it
should be studied depending on how many calories do they intake in consuming one
snack. It also has a certain effect on their behavior such as hyperactivity, hostility,
activeness and temper which will affect their classroom performance.

The study will be conducted in Samal North Elementary School, located at

Samal Bataan. Specifically class of 2023-2024. The respondents will be grade 1 to 6
students, grade 1 students has a total of 179 enrollees, grade 2 students has 153 enrollees,
grade 3 students has a total of 170 enrollees, grade 4 students has a total of 156 enrollees,
while grade 5 students has 198 enrollees and grade 6 students has 165 enrollees