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Weight gain in the first two years of life is an important predictor of schooling outcomes in pooled analyses from birth cohorts from low- and middle-income countries

Weight gain in the first two years of life is an important predictor of schooling outcomes in pooled analyses from birth cohorts from low- and middle-income countries
Weight gain in the first two years of life is an important predictor of schooling outcomes in pooled analyses from birth cohorts from low- and middle-income countries
Schooling predicts better reproductive outcomes, better long-term health, and increased lifetime earnings. We used data from 5 cohorts (Brazil, Guatemala, India, the Philippines, and South Africa) to explore the relative importance of birthweight and postnatal weight gain for schooling in pooled analyses (n = 7945) that used appropriate statistical methods [conditional weight (CW) gain measures that are uncorrelated with prior weights] and controlled for confounding. One SD increase in birthweight, ~0.5 kg, was associated with 0.21 y more schooling and 8% decreased risk of grade failure. One SD increase in CW gain between 0 and 2 y, ~0.7 kg, was associated with higher estimates, 0.43 y more schooling, and 12% decreased risk of failure. One SD increase of CW gain between 2 and 4 y, ~0.9 kg, was associated with only 0.07 y more schooling but not with failure. Also, in children born in the lowest tertile of birthweight, 1 SD increase of CW between 0 and 2 y was associated with 0.52 y more schooling compared with 0.30 y in those in the upper tertile. Relationships with age at school entry were inconsistent. In conclusion, weight gain during the first 2 y of life had the strongest associations with schooling followed by birthweight; weight gain between 2 and 4 y had little relationship to schooling. Catch-up growth in smaller babies benefited schooling. Nutrition interventions aimed at women and children under 2 y are among the key strategies for achieving the millennium development goal of universal primary education by 2015
0022-3166
348-354
Matorell, Reynaldo
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Horta, Bernardo L.
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Adair, Linda S.
cbc191bc-8c0f-468f-99be-394f8930392d
Stein, Aryeh D.
5ee08d0c-2313-4d74-bfcf-49e9bfabc36d
Ritcher, Linda
1d8517e4-c577-491c-8aec-e82122f72140
Fall, Caroline H.D.
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Bhargava, Santosh K.
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Biswas, S.K. Dey
553fbe9a-25e0-4c03-850e-8b5494e45f99
Perez, Lorna
c5e5d7fe-42f5-41dc-a740-3f9cb341ea19
Barros, Fernando C.
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Victora, Cesar G.
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Matorell, Reynaldo
d0bacef6-0a48-4a85-aa80-ae5fed4ea37b
Horta, Bernardo L.
6d719692-b8cd-4117-8a10-4e17db2e57a1
Adair, Linda S.
cbc191bc-8c0f-468f-99be-394f8930392d
Stein, Aryeh D.
5ee08d0c-2313-4d74-bfcf-49e9bfabc36d
Ritcher, Linda
1d8517e4-c577-491c-8aec-e82122f72140
Fall, Caroline H.D.
7171a105-34f5-4131-89d7-1aa639893b18
Bhargava, Santosh K.
3932b4c9-c07d-472c-b54d-622306357475
Biswas, S.K. Dey
553fbe9a-25e0-4c03-850e-8b5494e45f99
Perez, Lorna
c5e5d7fe-42f5-41dc-a740-3f9cb341ea19
Barros, Fernando C.
2045a98e-ac82-4ce3-9f93-1c302da3492a
Victora, Cesar G.
14b4c4b5-c082-4ee8-9c07-4e575af03ebf

Matorell, Reynaldo, Horta, Bernardo L., Adair, Linda S., Stein, Aryeh D., Ritcher, Linda, Fall, Caroline H.D., Bhargava, Santosh K., Biswas, S.K. Dey, Perez, Lorna, Barros, Fernando C. and Victora, Cesar G. (2010) Weight gain in the first two years of life is an important predictor of schooling outcomes in pooled analyses from birth cohorts from low- and middle-income countries. Journal of Nutrition, 140 (2), 348-354. (doi:10.3945/jn.109.112300).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Schooling predicts better reproductive outcomes, better long-term health, and increased lifetime earnings. We used data from 5 cohorts (Brazil, Guatemala, India, the Philippines, and South Africa) to explore the relative importance of birthweight and postnatal weight gain for schooling in pooled analyses (n = 7945) that used appropriate statistical methods [conditional weight (CW) gain measures that are uncorrelated with prior weights] and controlled for confounding. One SD increase in birthweight, ~0.5 kg, was associated with 0.21 y more schooling and 8% decreased risk of grade failure. One SD increase in CW gain between 0 and 2 y, ~0.7 kg, was associated with higher estimates, 0.43 y more schooling, and 12% decreased risk of failure. One SD increase of CW gain between 2 and 4 y, ~0.9 kg, was associated with only 0.07 y more schooling but not with failure. Also, in children born in the lowest tertile of birthweight, 1 SD increase of CW between 0 and 2 y was associated with 0.52 y more schooling compared with 0.30 y in those in the upper tertile. Relationships with age at school entry were inconsistent. In conclusion, weight gain during the first 2 y of life had the strongest associations with schooling followed by birthweight; weight gain between 2 and 4 y had little relationship to schooling. Catch-up growth in smaller babies benefited schooling. Nutrition interventions aimed at women and children under 2 y are among the key strategies for achieving the millennium development goal of universal primary education by 2015

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Published date: February 2010

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Local EPrints ID: 72231
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/72231
ISSN: 0022-3166
PURE UUID: 0c18e0b4-4b44-414c-a382-8a51af3079bf
ORCID for Caroline H.D. Fall: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4402-5552

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Date deposited: 02 Feb 2010
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:34

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Contributors

Author: Reynaldo Matorell
Author: Bernardo L. Horta
Author: Linda S. Adair
Author: Aryeh D. Stein
Author: Linda Ritcher
Author: Santosh K. Bhargava
Author: S.K. Dey Biswas
Author: Lorna Perez
Author: Fernando C. Barros
Author: Cesar G. Victora

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