Twelve-year follow-up study of the impact of nutritional status at the onset of elementary school on later educational situation of Chilean school-age children

Abstract

Objective: To determine the impact of nutritional status in a multicausal approach of socio-economic, socio-cultural, family, intellectual, educational and demographic variables at the onset of elementary school in 1987 on the educational situation of these children in 1998, when they should have graduated from high school. Setting: Chile's Metropolitan Region. Design: Prospective, observational and 12-year follow-up study. Methods: A representative sample of 813 elementary first grade school-age children was randomly chosen in 1987. The sample was assessed in two cross-sectional studies. The first cross-sectional study was carried out in at the onset of elementary school in 1987 and the second was carried out in 1998, 12-years later, when they should be graduating from high school. In 1998, 632 adolescent students were located and their educational situation was registered (dropout, delayed, graduated and not located). At the onset of elementary school were determined the nutritional status, socio-economic status (SES), family characteristics, intellectual ability (IA), scholastic achievement (SA) and demographic variables. Statistical analysis included variance tests and Scheffe's test was used for comparison of means. Pearson correlation coefficients and logistic regression were used to establish the most important independent variables at the onset of elementary school in 1987 that affect the educational situation 1998. Data were analysed using the statistical analysis system (SAS). Results: Logistic regression revealed that SES, IA, SA and head circumference-for-age Z score at the onset of elementary school in 1987 were the independent variables with the greatest explanatory power in the educational situation of school-age children in 1998. Conclusions: These parameters at an early school age are good predictors of the educational situation later and these results can be useful for nutrition and educational planning in early childhood.

Brain development and scholastic achievement in the Education Quality Measurement System tests in Chilean school-aged children

“…The explanatory power of HC on intellectual ability and SA increases significantly from the onset of elementary school until the end of high school; in contrast with this, the explanatory power of body weight and height decreases significantly. Furthermore, educational selectivity correlates with HC and not with weight and height (21). Findings from other authors confirm that students with intellectual disabilities had smaller total BVs (24).…”

“…The nutritional status of Chilean school-aged children has been positively and significantly correlated with SA and intelligence, especially with indicators of past nutrition; however, as previously stated, HC is the most relevant index associated with intelligence and learning success (3,(19)(20)(21)(22). Children with suboptimal HC graduating from high school have a high probability of failing the Academic Aptitude Test for university admission (22).…”

“…Our previous studies reveal that HC (and not weight or height) is the most relevant physical growth index associated with SA, intellectual ability, and school dropout in Chilean school-aged children (19)(20)(21)(22). Microcephalic children (HC-for-age Z-score (Z-HC) <−2 SD) exhibit multiple disorders related not only to BV but also to intelligence quotient, SA, and nutritional background, variables that are significantly interrelated (3).…”

Socioeconomic questionnaire and clinical assessment in the HELENA Cross-Sectional Study: methodology

“…Multinational and consumption pattern studies show that this relationship may be influenced by gender, family education level (family characteristics, intellectual ability, scholastic achievement) and demographic variables. 27 Early development during childhood of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart disease differs between populations, 28,29 and several studies have shown that SES strongly influences the risk of such diseases. 25,30 Health inequalities are most prominent during childhood, 31 and SES inequalities may influence risk of cardiovascular diseases and health.…”

From foundling homes to day care: a historical review of childcare in Chile

“…It was shown that malnutrition during the first year of life had a negative impact on cognitive level, IQ scores, and school results 38,40,44,51 . In addition, Valenzuela 49,52 found a significant association between malnutrition and low maternal sensitivity and a high risk of developing an anxious mother-child attachment in low-income families.…”