Four decades of socio-economic inequality and secular change in the physical growth of Guatemalans

Abstract

Objective:To investigate changes in socio-economic inequalities in growth in height, weight, BMI and grip strength in children born during 1955–1993 in Guatemala, a period of marked socio-economic-political change.Design:We modelled longitudinal data on height, weight, BMI and hand grip strength using Super-Imposition by Translation and Rotation (SITAR). Internal Z-scores summarising growth size, timing and intensity (peak growth velocity, e.g. cm/year) were created to investigate inequalities by socio-economic position (SEP; measured by school attended). Interactions of SEP with date of birth were investigated to capture secular changes in inequalities.Setting:Urban and peri-urban schools in the region of Guatemala City, Guatemala.Participants:Participants were 40 484 children and adolescents aged 3–19 years of Ladino and Maya ancestry (nobservations 157 067).Results:The difference in height (SITAR size) between lowest and highest SEP decreased from −2·0 (95 % CI −2·2, −1·9) sd to −1·4 (95 % CI −1·5, −1·3) sd in males, and from −2·0 (95 % CI −2·1, −1·9) sd to −1·2 (95 % CI −1·3, −1·2) sd in females over the study period. Inequalities also reduced for weight, BMI and grip strength, due to greater secular increases in lowest-SEP groups. The puberty period was earlier and shorter in higher-SEP individuals (earlier SITAR timing and higher SITAR intensity). All SEP groups showed increases in BMI intensity over time.Conclusions:Inequality narrowed between the 1960s and 1990s. The lowest-SEP groups were still >1 sd shorter than the highest. Risks remain for reduced human capital and poorer population health for urban Guatemalans.

Stunting and overweight among children in Northeast Brazil: prevalence, trends (1992-2005-2015) and associated risk factors from repeated cross-sectional surveys

“…Considering the influence of social, economic and political determinants on the children's nutritional status [45], it is evident the importance of the results published herein to establish a baseline to be used as a parameter in future evaluations, especially because of the current scenario of political transition experienced in Brazil [34,46]. The stunting at a global level, after years of decline, increased from 2015 to 2016 due to the economic and political crises that have been occurring in many developing countries.…”

COVID‐19, crisis, and emotional stress: A biocultural perspective of their impact on growth and development for the next generation

“…The hormonal interplay between stress hormones and linear growth is not limited to children in institutionalized settings. Social stress factors such as competition, subordination, isolation, and deprivation are frequently occurring processes in human societies (Bogin, in press; Hermanussen, Bogin, & Scheffler, 2019; Mansukoski et al, 2020). Stress due to insecurities of employment, food, housing, health care, and education is also common to adults and their offspring, even in high income nations (Holley & Mason, 2019; Loopstra, 2018).…”

Development of a temporally harmonized asset index: evidence from across 50 years of follow up of a birth cohort in Guatemala

“…Patterns of asset ownership allow researchers to place households on a continuum along the wealth spectrum [6]. Validation studies show moderate to high associations of household asset indices with other manifest measures of socioeconomic status (such as schooling and income) and correlations with individual measures of health (such as childhood stunting and adult overweight) [4,[7][8][9][10]. Asset indices are expected to reveal wealth gains over time in growing economies.…”