The effect of intake pecan nuts on improving the nutritional, behavioral and cognitive status of deaf students with learning disability in late adolescence

Deaf and hard of hearing students suffer from some developmental disorders, such as learning disability, which continue with them until late adolescence without improvement in the condition. It is one of the most serious behavioral problems, as more than 13% of late adolescence students suffer from learning disability. The Study aims to investigate effect of intake pecan nuts on improving the nutritional, behavioral and cognitive status of deaf students with learning disability in late adolescence. The investigated sample of student includes 30 students (15 females and 15 males), their age (18-20yrs.) had deaf and suffering from learning disability (Lack of attention, perception and memory). They were selected from one place; Faculty of Specific Education, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. The nutritional status was studied through some forms of nutrition and the behavioral by applying a scale of Behavioral Indicators to Developmental Learning Disability (BIDLD) for adolescents to all groups to assess the behavioral status before and after the dietary intervention, it was done by providing 25 g/day of pecan nuts for 3 months. The important results showed: a decrease in the intake of pecans before the dietary intervention, with an improvement in some nutrients after the dietary intervention compared to Recommended Dietary Allowances RDA for students in late adolescence in both (Zinc, Magnesium, Vitamin E,Thiamin, Niacin and Vitamin B5 by (111.1, 210.1, 135.7, 180.7, 115.76 and 129%) respectively, beside some polyphenols such as Gallic acid, Catechin, Epicatechin, and Ellagic acid by (479, 23.65, 30.2 and 343 mg) respectively, and there were a statistically significant relationship between all of them before and after the dietary intervention at p<0.01. In addition, there were a significant improvement in attention, perception, memory and the level of academic achievement among students after the dietary intervention with pecans. There were a strong positive correlation coefficient between some nutrients and some polyphenols that pecans contain and degree of (BIDLD) scale for the students. Finally, there were a significant improvement in the complete blood count CBC and the level of blood lipids after the dietary intervention for each of (HGB, RBCs, WBCs, CH, LDL and HDL) by 11.45 g/Dl,4.8×106 μL, 8058 μL, 161 mmol/L, 58.6 mmol/L and 72 mmol/L) respectively. Conclusion , the study recommended that importance of intake pecan for students in late adolescence to improve attention, perception, memory and academic achievement, as well as CBC and Lipid Profile.