Association between mental health problems of stunted children and common mental disorders of their mothers in Brazil: A case control study

Abstract

Introduction

In deprived environments, mental health problems for both the mother and her stunted child may be related.

Objective

To verify possible association between a child's nutritional and mental health status with common maternal mental disorders (and associated impairment).

Aims

To contribute to management of malnutrition and mental health in low-income populations.

Methods

Case-control study in which 48 malnourished children (aged 48 to 72 months) were compared with 50 eutrophic children. The child's nutritional status, the children's mental health, the maternal mental health, and the associated disability were evaluated by using the WHO criteria, the “Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire” (SDQ), the “Self-Report Questionnaire”-20 (SRQ-20), and the “Sheehan Disability Scale” (SDS), respectively. In addition, selected socio-economic aspects were considered.

Results

Variables with significant odds ratio (OR) in the univariate analysis were: maternal education (OR: 2.96, 95% CI: 1.30–6.75), number of residents in the household (OR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.14–0.74), number of children in the household (OR: 0.25, 95% CI: 0.10–0.61), and social class (OR: 2.30, 95% CI: 1.02–5.18). The only SDQ dimension that tended to be associated with malnutrition was conduct problems (P = 0.08). The disability associated with probable common maternal mental disorders (CMD) also showed statistically significant association (P = 0.02). In the logistic regression, child malnutrition remained associated with child conduct problems and disability associated with probable CMD.

Conclusions

Conduct problems in stunted children are positively associated with CMD and related disability. Longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm these hypotheses.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.