Cognitive impairment as a mediator in the developmental pathway from infant malnutrition to adolescent depressive symptoms in Barbadian youth.
J Dev Behav Pediatr
; 32(3): 225-32, 2011 Apr.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-21285893
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
Depressive symptoms are elevated in adolescents who experienced significant malnutrition early in life. Early malnutrition can also have a significant impact on cognitive functioning, presumably because of the adverse impact of the malnutrition on the very young brain. In the context of a developmental cascade model, we tested the hypothesis that the association between early malnutrition and adolescent depressive symptoms is mediated by the cognitive impairment that ensues from the malnutrition.METHODS:
We evaluated Barbadian youth (N = 57) hospitalized for moderate to severe protein-energy malnutrition in the first year of life and healthy controls (N = 60) longitudinally. The primary hypothesis was tested by multiple regression models.RESULTS:
After adjusting for covariates, early malnutrition predicted both cognitive functioning in childhood (IQ, p < .001; attention problems, p < .01; Common Entrance Examination, p < .01; and adolescent depressive symptoms, p < .05). Childhood cognitive functioning mediated the association between early malnutrition and depressive symptoms in adolescence (p < .001). Maternal depressive symptoms were a significant but independent predictor of adolescent depressive symptoms (p < .05).CONCLUSIONS:
Cognitive compromise in childhood accounts indirectly for elevated depressive symptoms in previously malnourished adolescents, consistent with a developmental cascade model. The direct link between malnutrition and depressive symptoms in adolescence is small.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Desnutrição Proteico-Calórica
/
Cognição
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Desenvolvimento do Adolescente
/
Depressão
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Etiology_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Adolescent
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Child
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Child, preschool
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Female
/
Humans
/
Male
País/Região como assunto:
Barbados
/
Caribe ingles
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Dev Behav Pediatr
Ano de publicação:
2011
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos