TY - JOUR
T1 - Socioeconomic status, anthropometric status, and psychomotor development of Kenyan children from resource-limited settings
T2 - A path-analytic study
AU - Abubakar, Amina
AU - Van de Vijver, Fons
AU - Van Baar, Anneloes
AU - Mbonani, Leonard
AU - Kalu, Raphael
AU - Newton, Charles
AU - Holding, Penny
N1 - Funding Information:
This paper is published with permission from the Director of KEMRI. Amina Abubakar and Penny Holding were supported by the NIMH Fogarty R21award (Grant MH72597-02). Professor Charles Newton is funded by the Wellcome Trust, UK (070114). The authors would like to thank B. Kabunda, R. Mapenzi, C. Mapenzi, P. Nzai, J. Maitha, M. Mwangome, E. Obiero, K. Rimba and G. Bomu for their role in the data collection, and K. Katana and P. Kadii for data entry. Our sincere gratitude goes to the families that participated in this study who generously gave their time to make this work possible.
PY - 2008/9
Y1 - 2008/9
N2 - Background: Sub-optimal physical growth has been suggested as a key pathway between the effect of environmental risk and developmental outcome. Aim: To determine if anthropometric status mediates the relation between socioeconomic status and psychomotor development of young children in resource-limited settings. Study design: A cross-sectional study design was used. Subjects: A total of 204 (105 girls) children from two resource-limited communities in the Coast Province, Kenya. The mean age of these children was 29 months (SD = 3.43; range: 24-35 months). Outcome measure: Psychomotor functioning was assessed using a locally developed and validated measure, the Kilifi Developmental Inventory. Results: A significant association was found between anthropometric status (as measured by weight-for-age, height-for-age, mid-upper arm circumference, and head circumference) and psychomotor functioning and also between socioeconomic status and anthropometric status; no direct effects were found between socioeconomic status and developmental outcome. The models showed that weight, height and to a lesser extent mid-upper arm circumference mediate the relation between socioeconomic status and developmental outcome, while head circumference did not show the same effect. Conclusion: Among children under 3 years living in poverty, anthropometric status shows a clear association with psychomotor development while socioeconomic status may only have an indirect association.
AB - Background: Sub-optimal physical growth has been suggested as a key pathway between the effect of environmental risk and developmental outcome. Aim: To determine if anthropometric status mediates the relation between socioeconomic status and psychomotor development of young children in resource-limited settings. Study design: A cross-sectional study design was used. Subjects: A total of 204 (105 girls) children from two resource-limited communities in the Coast Province, Kenya. The mean age of these children was 29 months (SD = 3.43; range: 24-35 months). Outcome measure: Psychomotor functioning was assessed using a locally developed and validated measure, the Kilifi Developmental Inventory. Results: A significant association was found between anthropometric status (as measured by weight-for-age, height-for-age, mid-upper arm circumference, and head circumference) and psychomotor functioning and also between socioeconomic status and anthropometric status; no direct effects were found between socioeconomic status and developmental outcome. The models showed that weight, height and to a lesser extent mid-upper arm circumference mediate the relation between socioeconomic status and developmental outcome, while head circumference did not show the same effect. Conclusion: Among children under 3 years living in poverty, anthropometric status shows a clear association with psychomotor development while socioeconomic status may only have an indirect association.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=50649111642&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2008.02.003
DO - 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2008.02.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 18499363
AN - SCOPUS:50649111642
SN - 0378-3782
VL - 84
SP - 613
EP - 621
JO - Early Human Development
JF - Early Human Development
IS - 9
ER -