Does intelligence account for the link between maternal literacy and child survival?

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Developmental Psychology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Maternal education strongly correlates with child health, independent of socioeconomic factors.
• Policy often assumes this link is causal, promoting schooling as a child health intervention.
• Alternative explanations, such as maternal intelligence, require investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the effect of maternal intelligence on child health.
• To determine if maternal intelligence explains the association between literacy and child survival/malnutrition.
• To investigate the interplay between intelligence, literacy, and child health outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 1294 mothers and 7475 offspring in Nicaragua.
• Maternal intelligence assessed using Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices.
• Literacy status categorized: adult learners, illiterate, and early school attendees.

Main Results:

• Maternal intelligence was strongly associated with literacy acquisition.
• Maternal literacy showed significant links to under-five mortality, infant mortality, and low mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) for age, even after controlling for socioeconomic factors.
• Maternal intelligence correlated with several child health indicators, with significant associations for infant and under-five mortality persisting after socioeconomic adjustments.
• A significant interaction indicated literacy's strongest impact on child mortality among mothers with lower intelligence.

Conclusions:

• Maternal intelligence is a crucial determinant of child health, particularly among illiterate populations.
• Education's impact on child health may be greatest for mothers with lower intelligence.
• Intelligence should be considered alongside education when designing child health interventions.