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Activity and behavioral development in stunted and nonstunted children and response to nutritional supplementation
J Meeks Gardner1, S M Grantham-McGregor, S M Chang
1Tropical Metabolism Research Unit, University of The West Indies, Mona, Jamaica, West Indies.
Insights
Undernutrition in young children initially reduces activity and development. However, activity levels caught up regardless of intervention, and development improved with either nutritional or psychosocial stimulation.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Nutritional Science
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Undernutrition in early childhood is often linked to developmental delays, potentially mediated by reduced physical activity.
- Early interventions aim to mitigate these negative effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between activity levels and development in stunted 1-year-old children.
- To assess the impact of nutritional supplementation and psychosocial stimulation on activity and development.
Main Methods:
- Study involved 3 groups of 26 stunted 1-year-olds (nutritional supplementation, psychosocial stimulation, controls) and 26 nonstunted children.
- Activity was measured via home observation; development was assessed using the Griffith's Mental Development Scales.
Main Results:
- Initially, stunted children showed lower activity (p < .01) and mental ages compared to nonstunted peers.
- After 6 months, activity levels normalized across groups, irrespective of treatment.
- Both interventions improved mental ages in stunted children, but initial activity did not predict locomotor development or changes in development.
Conclusions:
- While undernutrition initially impacts activity and development, activity levels can recover.
- Nutritional and psychosocial interventions can improve cognitive development in stunted children.
- Activity level is not a sole predictor of developmental trajectories in this context.
Abstract:
It is frequently assumed that undernutrition in young children leads to poor development through reduced activity. 3 groups of 26 1-year-old stunted children were studied: nutritional supplementation, supplementation with psychosocial stimulation, and controls. 26 nonstunted comparison children were also studied. Activity levels were measured by extensive observation in the homes, and development using 4 subscales of the Griffith's Mental Development Scales. Initially, stunted children were less active than nonstunted ones (p < .01), but after 6 months they caught up regardless of treatment. The mental ages of the stunted children were lower than those of the nonstunted children initially, and improved with either treatment. Initially, activity levels made a significant contribution to the variance in the locomotor subscale only, but not 6 months later. Activity did not predict change in development over 6 or 12 months, nor did change in activity over 6 months predict change in development over 12 months.