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Risk factors affecting child cognitive development: a summary of nutrition, environment, and maternal–child interaction indicators for sub-Saharan Africa

Part of: 9th World Congress: Cape Town Advancing the DOHaD Agenda in Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 September 2015

N. D. Ford Open the ORCID record for N. D. Ford [Opens in a new window]  and
A. D. Stein
N. D. Ford
Affiliation:
Nutrition and Health Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
A. D. Stein*
Affiliation:
Nutrition and Health Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA Hubert Department of Global Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
*
*Address for correspondence: A. D. Stein, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road NW, CNR 7007, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. (Email [email protected])
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Abstract

An estimated 200 million children worldwide fail to meet their development potential due to poverty, poor health and unstimulating environments. Missing developmental milestones has lasting effects on adult human capital. Africa has a large burden of risk factors for poor child development. The objective of this paper is to identify scope for improvement at the country level in three domains – nutrition, environment, and mother–child interactions. We used nationally representative data from large-scale surveys, data repositories and country reports from 2000 to 2014. Overall, there was heterogeneity in performance across domains, suggesting that each country faces distinct challenges in addressing risk factors for poor child development. Data were lacking for many indicators, especially in the mother–child interaction domain. There is a clear need to improve routine collection of high-quality, country-level indicators relevant to child development to assess risk and track progress.

Keywords

Africachild developmenthuman capital
Type
Original Article
Information
Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease , Volume 7 , Issue 2: Themed Issue: Developmental Origins of Health and Disease: Importance of research for Africa , April 2016 , pp. 197 - 217
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Copyright
© Cambridge University Press and the International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease 2015 

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