Child malnutrition and academic performance: links to Physical Education and recreation in Latin America (2010–2025)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v75.118306Keywords:
Academic performance, child malnutrition, Physical Education, recreationAbstract
Introduction: Child malnutrition continues to be one of the most persistent problems in Latin America, affecting not only the physical development and immediate health of children, but also their academic performance, cognitive abilities, and consequently, their future opportunities.
Objective: To analyze the scientific production on child malnutrition, academic performance, and physical education/recreation in Latin America during the period 2010–2025.
Methodology: The study was conducted under a quantitative approach, relying on the statistical analysis of bibliometric indicators derived from scientific production. In turn, it was a non-experimental and cross-sectional study. The scope of the research was descriptive and exploratory.
Results: Between 2010 and 2015, sporadic publications were identified, characterized by studies with a local scope and a strong emphasis on the link between malnutrition and academic performance. From 2016 onwards, a progressive increase in the number of studies was observed, reaching a point of consolidation in the period 2020–2025.
Discussion: The review of scientific production reveals a dynamic scenario, with a progressive growth in research and a predominance of quantitative and cross-sectional approaches.
Conclusions: It was found that publication peaks coincided with contexts of greater international attention to food security and the Sustainable Development Goals, which demonstrated an alignment of research with global priorities.
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