Relationship between adiposity and cognitive performance in 9-10-year-old children in South India
Relationship between adiposity and cognitive performance in 9-10-year-old children in South India
BACKGROUND: Studies in high-income countries have shown inverse associations between adiposity and cognitive performance in children. We aimed to examine the relationship between adiposity and cognitive function in Indian children.
METHODS: At a mean age of 9.7 years, height, weight, triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses and waist circumference were recorded for 540 children born in Mysore, India. Body fat percentage was estimated using bioimpedance. Cognitive function was assessed using three core tests from the Kaufman Assessment Battery for children-II edition and additional tests measuring learning, short-term memory, reasoning, verbal and visuo-spatial abilities, attention and concentration. Data on the parents' socioeconomic status, education, occupation and income were collected.
RESULTS: According to WHO definitions, 3.5% of the children were overweight/obese (Body Mass Index (BMI)>+1SD) and 27% underweight (BMI<-2SD). Compared to normal children, overweight/obese children scored higher in tests of learning/long-term retrieval, reasoning and verbal ability (unadjusted p<0.05 for all). All the Cognitive Test scores increased with increase in BMI and skinfold thickness, (unadjusted ?=0.10-0.20 SD; p<0.05 for all). The effects, though attenuated, remained mainly significant after adjustment for age, sex and socioeconomic factors. Similar associations were found for waist circumference and percentage body fat.
CONCLUSIONS: In this Indian population, in which obesity was uncommon, greater adiposity predicted higher cognitive ability. These associations were only partly explained by socioeconomic factors. Our findings suggest that better nutrition is associated with better cognitive function, and that inverse associations between adiposity and cognitive function in high-income countries reflect confounding by socioeconomic factors.
child psychology, epidemiology
126-134
Veena, Sargoor R.
549cbba2-5ac1-4088-be37-4c1e656bddea
Hegde, Bhavya G.
cdf2de4f-7b63-4bb5-a101-aa527cbabe37
Ramchandraiah, Somashekara
460194a3-33f5-43a9-b229-2dab35faaf7f
Krishnaveni, Ghattu V.
cd20fca7-d151-43b7-a7b4-d6051d6dd922
Fall, Caroline H.D.
7171a105-34f5-4131-89d7-1aa639893b18
Srinivasan, Krishnamachari
a5367aa3-c40e-4c3c-825e-2d150a3e40c5
February 2014
Veena, Sargoor R.
549cbba2-5ac1-4088-be37-4c1e656bddea
Hegde, Bhavya G.
cdf2de4f-7b63-4bb5-a101-aa527cbabe37
Ramchandraiah, Somashekara
460194a3-33f5-43a9-b229-2dab35faaf7f
Krishnaveni, Ghattu V.
cd20fca7-d151-43b7-a7b4-d6051d6dd922
Fall, Caroline H.D.
7171a105-34f5-4131-89d7-1aa639893b18
Srinivasan, Krishnamachari
a5367aa3-c40e-4c3c-825e-2d150a3e40c5
Veena, Sargoor R., Hegde, Bhavya G., Ramchandraiah, Somashekara, Krishnaveni, Ghattu V., Fall, Caroline H.D. and Srinivasan, Krishnamachari
(2014)
Relationship between adiposity and cognitive performance in 9-10-year-old children in South India.
Archives of Disease in Childhood, 99 (2), .
(doi:10.1136/archdischild-2013-304478).
(PMID:24146284)
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Studies in high-income countries have shown inverse associations between adiposity and cognitive performance in children. We aimed to examine the relationship between adiposity and cognitive function in Indian children.
METHODS: At a mean age of 9.7 years, height, weight, triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses and waist circumference were recorded for 540 children born in Mysore, India. Body fat percentage was estimated using bioimpedance. Cognitive function was assessed using three core tests from the Kaufman Assessment Battery for children-II edition and additional tests measuring learning, short-term memory, reasoning, verbal and visuo-spatial abilities, attention and concentration. Data on the parents' socioeconomic status, education, occupation and income were collected.
RESULTS: According to WHO definitions, 3.5% of the children were overweight/obese (Body Mass Index (BMI)>+1SD) and 27% underweight (BMI<-2SD). Compared to normal children, overweight/obese children scored higher in tests of learning/long-term retrieval, reasoning and verbal ability (unadjusted p<0.05 for all). All the Cognitive Test scores increased with increase in BMI and skinfold thickness, (unadjusted ?=0.10-0.20 SD; p<0.05 for all). The effects, though attenuated, remained mainly significant after adjustment for age, sex and socioeconomic factors. Similar associations were found for waist circumference and percentage body fat.
CONCLUSIONS: In this Indian population, in which obesity was uncommon, greater adiposity predicted higher cognitive ability. These associations were only partly explained by socioeconomic factors. Our findings suggest that better nutrition is associated with better cognitive function, and that inverse associations between adiposity and cognitive function in high-income countries reflect confounding by socioeconomic factors.
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e-pub ahead of print date: 21 October 2013
Published date: February 2014
Keywords:
child psychology, epidemiology
Organisations:
Faculty of Medicine
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Local EPrints ID: 362064
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/362064
ISSN: 0003-9888
PURE UUID: c36b31ea-d64f-4274-9383-26c839d72656
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Date deposited: 13 Feb 2014 12:26
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:40
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Contributors
Author:
Sargoor R. Veena
Author:
Bhavya G. Hegde
Author:
Somashekara Ramchandraiah
Author:
Ghattu V. Krishnaveni
Author:
Krishnamachari Srinivasan
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