QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 139/9/1765    most recent jn.109.106294v1 Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Baker-Henningham, H. Articles by Grantham-McGregor, S. M. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Baker-Henningham, H. Articles by Grantham-McGregor, S. M.

---

Ingestive Behavior and Neurosciences

Undernourished Children Have Different Temperaments Than Better-Nourished Children in Rural Bangladesh^1,2

³ Epidemiology Research Unit, University of the West Indies, Kingston 7, Jamaica; ⁴ International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh; ⁵ Institute of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Dhaka University, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh; and ⁶ Center for International Health and Development, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK

Undernutrition in early childhood is associated with poor cognitive development and some changes in behavior. However, there is little information on their temperament. Our objective in this study was to determine whether undernourished children aged 6–24 mo had different temperament traits than better-nourished children. Two hundred and twelve undernourished children (weight for age < –2 Z-scores) attending community nutrition centers in 20 villages in rural Bangladesh and 108 better-nourished children (weight-for-age –2 Z-scores) matched for age, sex, and village participated in the study. Temperament was assessed through an interviewer-administered maternal questionnaire consisting of 7 subscales: manageability, activity, emotionality, sociability, attention, soothability, and fear. After adjusting for significant covariates, the undernourished children were less sociable [regression coefficient (B) = –0.96; 95% CI = –0.04, –1.88], less attentive (B = –0.94; 95% CI = –0.19, –1.69), more fearful (B = 1.43; 95% CI = 2.44, 0.42), and had more negative emotionality (B = –1.08; 95% CI = 0.006, –2.16). In conclusion, these undernourished children had comprehensive differences in temperament traits, which may increase their risk of developing behavioral and mental health problems in later childhood.

^* To whom the correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jena{at}icddrb.org.

Manuscript received 24 February 2009. Initial review completed 10 April 2009. Revision accepted 16 June 2009.

Published online 15 July 2009.