Sociodemographic and nutritional correlates of neurobehavioral development: a study of young children in a rural region of Ecuador
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVE: To identify and describe the sociodemographic and nutritional characteristics associated with neurobehavioral development among young children living in three communities in the northeastern Andean region of Cayambe-Tabacundo, Ecuador. METHODS: Women in the study communities who had a child 3 to 61 months of age completed a questionnaire about maternal and child health and sociodemographic characteristics. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) was directly administered to 283 children by two trained interviewers. Growth measurements and a hemoglobin finger-prick blood test were obtained in 2003-2004. Prevalence of developmental delay was calculated, and associations between child development and maternal, child, and household characteristics were explored. RESULTS: High frequencies of developmental delay were observed. Children 3 to 23 months old displayed delay in gross motor skills (30.1%), and children 48 to 61 months old displayed delay in problem-solving skills (73.4%) and fine motor skills (28.1%). A high frequency of both anemia (60.4%) and stunting (53.4%) was observed for all age groups. Maternal educational level was positively associated with communication and problem-solving skills, and monthly household income was positively associated with communication, gross motor, and problem-solving skills. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest a high prevalence of developmental delay and poor child health in this population. Child health status and the child's environment may contribute to developmental delay in this region of Ecuador, but sociodemographic factors affecting opportunities for stimulation may also play a role. Research is needed to identify what is causing high percentages of neurobehavioral developmental delay in this region of Ecuador.
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ASQ-3 has been previously used in several studies in low- and middle-income countries.
“ASQ-3 has been previously used in several studies in low-and middleincome countries (29,41,42)”
From Vitamin B-12 status in infancy is positively associated with development and cognitive functioning 5 y later in Nepalese children (2017) · cites this paper as [41]
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Kvestad, I., Hysing, M., Shrestha, M., Ulak, M., Thorne-Lyman, A. L., Henjum, S., Ueland, P. M., Midttun, Ø., Fawzi, W., Chandyo, R. K., et al. (2017) · The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.3945/ajcn.116.144931 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Handal, A. J., Lozoff, B., Breilh, J., & Harlow, S. D.
- Affiliations
- University of Michigan (US)
- Corresponding author
- Handal, Alexis J.
- Venue
- Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública
- Publisher
- FapUNIFESP (SciELO)
- Published
- 2007-05
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 292-300
- ISSN
- 1020-4989 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2166194809
- Cited by
- 68
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 1.55
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Locations
- Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Americanae (AECID Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Child Nutrition and Water Access
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Public Health and Nutrition
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Global Maternal and Child Health
- Keywords
- neurobehavioral development, developmental delay, young children, anemia, stunting, child nutrition, sociodemographic factors, maternal education, household income, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, problem-solving skills, communication skills, rural Ecuador
- MeSH terms
- Child Development, Child, Preschool, Ecuador, Female, Humans, Infant, Male, Nutritional Status, Rural Population, Socioeconomic Factors
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