From 1969-77, a longitudinal study of growth and development was carried out in four Guatemalan villages. This effort showed that nutrition interventions improve the physical growth and mental development of young children. In 1988-89, when the former subjects of this study were adolescents and young adults (age range 10-26 yrs.), the investigators carried out a follow-up study to identify the long term benefits of better nutrition in early childhood. That study showed that better nutrition in childhood improves the status of young adults as measured by larger body size, greater work capacity and improved intellectual functioning and school achievement. In the current study, the investigators are studying the offspring of the women who participated, as young children, in the 1969-77 study. The main hypothesis guiding this research is that better nutrition in early life enhances the future capacity of women to bear healthy newborns and the ability to care for them and, thus, the growth and development of the next generation. The investigators note that the intention to document the mechanisms by which improved childhood nutrition benefits the next generation is a central and distinctive objective of the project. Data collection includes maternal body composition, lactational performance, birthweight and newborn status, child growth and motor development, postnatal morbidity, diets of mothers and children, cognitive assessments in adults and children, maternal-child behaviors, and socio-educational aspects. The investigators state that by the time this application is reviewed, the field data collection for this 3-year longitudinal study in children less than three years of age and their mothers will be completed. However, due to a somewhat longer start-up time than anticipated, the investigators will continue to collect data until June 1999. With this application, the investigators propose to prepare for, complete and write-up the analyses of this complex study. They note that this ambitious effort will link mothers and children of the original study, who are now grandmothers and mothers, with the current generation of children. At the end of the study, over 400 mother-child pairs will be available for analysis at any age of interest. They note that this will provide adequate power to identify effects of substantive importance. The investigators also note that the wealth of data they have collected will also allow investigation of many research questions that complement the main intergenerational hypotheses. The investigators also state that the study is unique in being the first comprehensive assessment of the intergenerational effects of improved nutrition in early childhood. They conclude that the results of the proposed analyses will fill key scientific gaps and inform policies and programs aimed at improving the health of future generations in the United States and throughout the world.
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