Micronutrient-Rich Dietary and Digital Nutrition Intervention in Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Symptoms: A Controlled School-Based Study

ADHD; micronutrients; digital health; paediatric nutrition; school-based intervention; caregiver education; behaviour function

Shankar Soundariya1
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics,
Saveetha Institute of Basic Medical Sciences,
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical
Sciences, Saveetha University, Thandalam,
Chennai 602 105, India
soundariyas.sibms@saveetha.com

Chinnappan A Kalpana2
Department of Food Science and Nutrition,
Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and
Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore-43

Received:23-06-2026
Revised:24-07-2026
Accepted:05-08-2026

European Journal of Prosthodontics and Restorative Dentistry (2026) 34,7(s) 933–943

Micronutrient-Rich Dietary and Digital Nutrition Intervention in Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Symptoms: A Controlled School-Based Study

Objectives: To evaluate whether a five-month school-based intervention combining micronutrient-rich snacks with digital caregiver nutrition support improves nutrient intake, anthropometry, behaviour function and caregiver nutrition knowledge, attitudes and practices in children with attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in Chennai, India. Methods: A controlled intervention included 120 children aged 4–9 years from 23 special schools. Participants were allocated to experimental and control groups within two age strata (4–6 and 7–9 years; n=30 per group). Experimental groups received one 50 g micronutrient-rich snack daily, access to an AIintegrated nutrition website and YouTube education, and monthly telephonic counselling for five months. Controls received standard telephonic counselling and generic nutrition education. Nutrient intake, anthropometry, DSM-5-based behaviour scores and caregiver knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) scores were assessed before and after intervention. Results: Energy intake increased from 1152 to 1328 kcal in the 4–6-year experimental group and from 1482 to 1728 kcal in the 7–9-year experimental group. Significant improvements were also observed in protein, iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium and assessed vitamins (p<0.01). Behaviour scores improved in both experimental groups (8.76 to 8.13, p=0.05; 7.00 to 6.66, p=0.032), whereas control-group scores did not improve. Caregiver KAP scores increased significantly, and 93.3% of caregivers rated the website Excellent. Conclusions: A culturally adapted, multi-component dietary and digital education intervention improved nutrient intake, behaviour function and caregiver nutrition practices over five months in children with ADHD symptoms attending special schools.

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