INFLUENCE OF MEAL HABITS ON COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE AND LEARNING ENGAGEMENT AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN THE DIGITAL LEARNING ERA

Abstract

In the digital learning era, students’ health and nutrition play a crucial role in sustaining concentration, cognitive performance, and engagement in academic tasks. Skipping meals or maintaining irregular eating patterns can impair mental alertness, reduce motivation, result into hypoglycaemia and hinder effective participation in technology-based learning environments. This study examined the influence of meal habits on learning concentration and academic engagement among undergraduates in University of Ilorin, Nigeria. Specifically, it investigated whether (i) skipping meals affects students’ concentration in class and (ii) dizziness resulting from poor nutrition influences their engagement in digital and classroom activities. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and 302 undergraduates were sampled using multi-stage sampling techniques. Data were collected with a validated and reliable questionnaire (r = 0.78). Percentage and Chi-square statistics were used for data analysis at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that skipping meals significantly reduces students’ learning concentration, while dizziness due to poor nutrition significantly affects academic engagement. The study concluded that proper nutrition contributes positively to learning outcomes in technology-driven education. It was recommended that universities promote nutrition literacy and health awareness through digital learning platforms and ensure access to affordable, nutritious meals to enhance cognitive and academic performance.