Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2008 Sep;84(9):613-21.
doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2008.02.003. Epub 2008 May 21.

Socioeconomic status, anthropometric status, and psychomotor development of Kenyan children from resource-limited settings: a path-analytic study

Amina Abubakar  1 , Fons Van de Vijver, Anneloes Van Baar, Leonard Mbonani, Raphael Kalu, Charles Newton, Penny Holding
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Socioeconomic status, anthropometric status, and psychomotor development of Kenyan children from resource-limited settings: a path-analytic study

Amina Abubakar et al. Early Hum Dev. 2008 Sep.

Abstract

Background: Sub-optimal physical growth has been suggested as a key pathway between the effect of environmental risk and developmental outcome.

Aim: To determine if anthropometric status mediates the relation between socioeconomic status and psychomotor development of young children in resource-limited settings.

Study design: A cross-sectional study design was used.

Subjects: A total of 204 (105 girls) children from two resource-limited communities in the Coast Province, Kenya. The mean age of these children was 29 months (SD = 3.43; range: 24-35 months).

Outcome measure: Psychomotor functioning was assessed using a locally developed and validated measure, the Kilifi Developmental Inventory.

Results: A significant association was found between anthropometric status (as measured by weight-for-age, height-for-age, mid-upper arm circumference, and head circumference) and psychomotor functioning and also between socioeconomic status and anthropometric status; no direct effects were found between socioeconomic status and developmental outcome. The models showed that weight, height and to a lesser extent mid-upper arm circumference mediate the relation between socioeconomic status and developmental outcome, while head circumference did not show the same effect.

Conclusion: Among children under 3 years living in poverty, anthropometric status shows a clear association with psychomotor development while socioeconomic status may only have an indirect association.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Hypothesized mediational model of the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES), anthropometric status, and psychomotor development.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Olness K. Effects on brain development leading to cognitive impairments: a worldwide pandemic. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2003;24:120–30. - PubMed
    1. Bradley RH, Corwyn RF. Socioeconomic status and child development. Annu Rev Psychol. 2002;53:371–99. - PubMed
    1. UNICEF . Progress for children: a report card on nutrition. UNICEF; 2006.
    1. World Health Organization Expert Committee . Physical status: the use and interpretation of anthropometry. WHO; Geneva: 1995. - PubMed
    1. Black R, Morris SS, Bryce J. Where and why are 10 million children dying every year? Lancet. 2003;361:2226–34. - PubMed

Publication types