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Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health
Published in: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 1/2018

Open Access 01-12-2018 | Research article

Association between stunting and neuro-psychological outcomes among children in Burkina Faso, West Africa

Authors: Anselme Simeon Sanou, Abdoulaye Hama Diallo, Penny Holding, Victoria Nankabirwa, Ingunn Marie S. Engebretsen, Grace Ndeezi, James K. Tumwine, Nicolas Meda, Thorkild Tylleskär, Esperance Kashala-Abotnes

Published in: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health | Issue 1/2018

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Abstract

Background

In Burkina Faso, stunting affects children and is a public health problem. We studied the association between stunting and child’s neuro-psychological outcomes at 6–8 years of age in rural Burkina Faso using the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd edition (KABC-II), the Children’s Category Test 1 (CCT-1) and the Test of Variable of Attention (TOVA).

Methods

We re-enrolled children of a previously community-based Exclusive breastfeeding trial in Burkina Faso. We assessed a total of 532 children aged 6–8 years using KABC-II for memory (Atlantis and Number Recall subtests), spatial abilities (Conceptual Thinking, Face Recognition and Triangle subtests), reasoning (Block Counting subtest), general cognition and CCT-1 for cognitive flexibility. A total 513 children were assessed using the TOVA to measure attention and inhibition. We calculated the Cohen’s d to examine the effect size and conducted a linear regression to examine the association.

Results

The proportion of stunting was 15.6% (83/532). Stunted children performed significantly poorer for memory (Atlantis and Number Recall), spatial abilities (Conceptual Thinking, Face Recognition and Triangle), general cognition and attention with a small effect size compared to non-stunted children. Children who were exposed scored significantly higher errors for cognitive flexibility and inhibition with a small effect size compared to unexposed children. At standardized and unstandardized multivariable regression analysis, stunted children performed significantly poorer for Atlantis (p = 0.001), Number Recall (p = 0.02), Conceptual Thinking (p = 0.01), Triangle (p = 0.001), general cognition (p ≤ 0.0001) and attention (p = 0.04) compared to non-stunted children. Children who were exposed scored significantly higher errors for cognitive flexibility (p = 0.02) and for inhibition (p = 0.02) compared to unexposed children. We adjusted all the results for age, schooling, sex, playing, father education, mother employment and promotion of previous exclusive breastfeeding.

Conclusion

Stunting is associated with poorer neuro-psychological outcomes among children in rural Burkina Faso. Initiatives related to prevention need to be established and advice on nutrition need to be provided.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Association between stunting and neuro-psychological outcomes among children in Burkina Faso, West Africa
Authors
Anselme Simeon Sanou
Abdoulaye Hama Diallo
Penny Holding
Victoria Nankabirwa
Ingunn Marie S. Engebretsen
Grace Ndeezi
James K. Tumwine
Nicolas Meda
Thorkild Tylleskär
Esperance Kashala-Abotnes
Publication date
01-12-2018
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health / Issue 1/2018
Electronic ISSN: 1753-2000
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-018-0236-1

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