Relationship between anthropometric indicators and cognitive performance in Southeast Asian school-aged children

Abstract

Nutrition is an important factor in mental development and, as a consequence, in cognitive performance. Malnutrition is reflected in children's weight, height and BMI curves. The present cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the association between anthropometric indices and cognitive performance in 6746 school-aged children (aged 6 -12 years) of four Southeast Asian countries: Indonesia; Malaysia; Thailand; Vietnam. Cognitive performance (non-verbal intelligence quotient (IQ)) was measured using Raven's Progressive Matrices test or Test of Non-Verbal Intelligence, third edition (TONI-3). Height-for-age z-scores (HAZ), weight-for-age z-scores (WAZ) and BMI-for-age z-scores (BAZ) were used as anthropometric nutritional status indices. Data were weighted using age, sex and urban/rural weight factors to resemble the total primary school-aged population per country. Overall, 21 % of the children in the four countries were underweight and 19 % were stunted. Children with low WAZ were 3·5 times more likely to have a non-verbal IQ , 89 (OR 3·53 and 95 % CI 3·52, 3·54). The chance of having a non-verbal IQ ,89 was also doubled with low BAZ and HAZ. In contrast, except for severe obesity, the relationship between high BAZ and IQ was less clear and differed per country. The odds of having non-verbal IQ levels ,89 also increased with severe obesity. In conclusion, undernourishment and non-verbal IQ are significantly associated in 6-12-year-old children. Effective strategies to improve nutrition in preschoolers and school-aged children can have a pronounced effect on cognition and, in the longer term, help in positively contributing to individual and national development.

Association Between Birth Weight and Other Factors with the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of the Student of SMP Negeri 200 Jakarta in 2013

“…However, the results of this study showed that there was no significant relationship between height-for-age (z-score) and IQ (p> 0.05). This study was in line with other studies [16], but it was different with some recent research saying there was a significant relationship between HAZ and IQ [7,[17][18][19][20]. Small brain size can be caused by a smaller body size so that the number of cells in the brain is reduced and not by the standard [8].…”

Outcomes of second‐line antiretroviral therapy among children living with HIV: a global cohort analysis

“…One other study also reported no improvements in WAZ after 96 weeks on second‐line ART [19]. Many children therefore remained severely underweight in some settings, which has implications for future cognitive development and mortality [28,29]. More data are needed to understand why we did not observe gains in weight after switch to second‐line ART.…”

Different Result of Cognitive Impairment Screening in Adolescent Aged 10-12 Years with Normal and Short Stature in Pangandaran District

“…[17] Other study in 2013 showed that children aged 6-12 years with significant underweight and short stature had IQ lower than 89. [18] Other studies demonstrated short statured children had abnormal neuropsychology examination and impaired cognitive function, attention, memory process, visual perception, and verbal comprehension compared to normal children. [19] A study in South Africa assessing cognitive factors and stunting demonstrated that there was no significant correlation between stunting and child performance using Vineland Social Maturity Scale (VSMS), but closely and significantly related when using Revised-Denver Prescreening Developmental Questionnaire (R-DPDQ).…”