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Behavioural and cognitive associations of short stature at 5 years
S L Stathis1, M J O'Callaghan, G M Williams
1Department of Developmental Paediatrics, Mater Children's Hospital, South Brisbane, Australia.
Insights
Childhood short stature is linked to lower cognitive scores, even after accounting for other factors. This small association highlights a subtle but significant relationship between height and cognitive development in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Childhood short stature is a concern for parents and clinicians.
- Potential links to cognitive, behavioral, and chronic health issues are often investigated.
- Understanding contributing factors, including biological and psychosocial aspects, is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between childhood short stature and cognitive, behavioral, and chronic health problems.
- To determine if adverse biological, psychosocial, or psychological factors mediate these associations.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 8556 pregnant women, with follow-up questionnaires for children at 4 and 6 years.
- Cognitive assessment using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) at 5 years in 3986 children.
- Analysis of height Z-scores in relation to health, behavior, and cognitive outcomes, adjusting for confounders.
Main Results:
- No significant association found between height and chronic disease or behavioral problems.
- Children with short stature (<10th percentile) had significantly lower PPVT-R scores.
- Short stature remained a significant predictor of lower cognitive scores, though it explained a small percentage of variance.
Conclusions:
- A significant, albeit small, association exists between childhood height and cognitive scores (PPVT-R) at age 5.
- This relationship is independent of psychosocial disadvantage and known biological risk factors.
- Psychosocial factors play a more substantial role in cognitive scores than height.
Objectives:
To determine the extent to which childhood short stature is associated with cognitive, behavioural and chronic health problems, and whether these problems could be attributed to recognized adverse biological, psychosocial or psychological factors.
Methodology:
At their first antenatal session, 8556 women were enrolled in a prospective study of pregnancy. When their children were 4 and 6 years of age, mothers completed a detailed questionnaire concerning their child's health and behaviour. A Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) was completed by the child at 5 years of age. Z scores were used to categorize height measurements in 3986 children. The relationship of these height categories with the child's health, and behavioural and cognitive problems was then examined.
Results:
No association was found between height and symptoms of chronic disease or behaviour problems in boys or girls. On the unadjusted analysis, mean PPVT-R scores were significantly lower in boys with heights < 3 percentile and 3-< 10 percentile compared with study children between 10 to 90 percentile (P < 0.01). Scores were similarly significantly lower in girls with heights < 3 percentile and 3-10 percentile (P = 0.01). Even after adjusting for psychosocial and biological confounders, short stature remained a significant predictor for lower PPVT-R scores in both boys and girls, although height only accounted for 1.1% of the variance in scores in boys and 0.5% of the variance in PPVT-R scores in girls. Psychosocial factors had a greater role than height in determining PPVT-R scores at 5 years of age.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest a significant, though small, association between height and PPVT-R scores at 5 years of age, independent of psychosocial disadvantage and known biological risk factors.