Globally, the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is rising. The most affected populations are those that have undergone recent and rapid transition towards a Western lifestyle, characterised by energy-dense diets and physical inactivity.¶ Two major hypotheses have attempted to explain the variation in diabetes prevalence, both between and within populations, beyond the contributions made by adult lifestyle. The thrifty genotype hypothesis proposes that some populations are genetically well adapted to surviving in a subsistence environment, and are predisposed to develop diabetes when the dietary environment changes to one that is fat and carbohydrate rich. The programming hypothesis focuses on the developmental environment, particularly on prenatal and early postnatal conditions: nutritional deprivation in utero and early postnatal life, measured by low birthweight and disrupted child growth, is proposed to alter metabolism permanently so that risk of diabetes is increased with subsequent exposure to an energy-dense diet. Both hypotheses emphasise discord between adaptation (genetic or developmental) and current environment, and both now put forward insulin resistance as a likely mechanism for predisposition.¶ Diabetes contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality among Australia’s Indigenous population. Indigenous babies are more likely to be low birthweight, and typical patterns of child growth include periods of faltering and rapid catch-up. Although there have been numerous studies in other populations, the programming hypothesis has not previously been tested in an Australian Indigenous community. The framework of the programming hypothesis is thus expanded to consider exposure of whole populations to adverse prenatal and postnatal environments, and the influence this may have on diabetes prevalence.¶ The present study took place in Cherbourg, a large Aboriginal community in southeast Queensland with a high prevalence of diabetes. Study participants were adults with diagnosed diabetes and a random sample of adults who had never been diagnosed with diabetes. Data were collected on five current risk factors for diabetes (general and central obesity, blood pressure, age and family history), in addition to fasting blood glucose levels. A lifestyle survey was also conducted. Participants’ medical records detailing weight growth from birth to five years were analysed with regard to adult diabetes risk to determine whether childhood weight and rate of weight gain were associated with subsequent diabetes. Adult lifestyle factors were xiialso explored to determine whether variation in nutrition and physical activity was related to level of diabetes risk.¶ Approximately 20% of adults in Cherbourg have diagnosed diabetes. Prevalence may be as high as 38.5% in females and 42% in males if those who are high-risk (abnormal fasting glucose and three additional factors) are included. Among those over 40 years, total prevalence is estimated to be 51% for females and 59% for males.¶ Patterns of early childhood growth may contribute to risk of diabetes among adults. In particular, relatively rapid weight growth to five years is associated with both general and central obesity among adult women. This lends some qualified support to the programming hypothesis as catch-up growth has previously been incorporated into the model; however, although the most consistent association was found among those who gained weight more rapidly, it was also found that risk is increased among children who are heavier at any age.¶ No consistent associations were found between intrauterine growth retardation (as determined by lower than median birthweight and higher than median weight growth velocity to one and three months) and diabetes risk among women or men. A larger study sample with greater statistical power may have yielded less ambiguous results.¶ Among adults, levels of physical activity may be more important than nutritional intake in moderating diabetes risk, although features of diet, such as high intake of simple carbohydrates, may contribute to risk in the community overall, especially in the context of physical inactivity. A genetic component is not ruled out. Two additional areas which require further investigation include stress and high rates of infection, both of which are highly relevant to the study community, and may contribute to the insulin resistance syndrome.¶ Some accepted thresholds indicating increased diabetes risk may not be appropriate in this population. Given the relationship between waist circumference and other diabetes risk factors and the propensity for central fat deposition among women even with low body mass index (BMI), it is recommended that the threshold where BMI is considered a risk be lowered by 5kg/m2 for women, while no such recommendation is made for men.¶ There are a number of social barriers to better community health, including attitudes to exercise and obesity, patterns of alcohol and tobacco use and consumption of fresh foods. Some of these barriers are exacerbated by gender roles and expectations.¶

The aim of this thesis was to explore the impact of physical, sexual and emotional violence against women of reproductive age and the level of controlling behaviour in marriage on child health and survival in two different cultural settings: Bangladesh and Nicaragua. Data were acquired from four quantitative community-based studies. In two studies, a cohort including a prospective two year follow-up of 3164 mother-infant pairs in rural Bangladesh was investigated. A third study was a case-referent study in Nicaragua including mothers of 110 cases of under-five deaths and 203 referents, and in a forth study an other cohort of 1048 rural Bangladeshi women and their 2691 children was followed until 5 years of age. Maternal exposure to any form of violence, including physical, sexual, emotional, and controlling behaviour was independently associated with lower body size at birth, increased risk of stunting and under-weight at 24 months of age, slower growth velocity during the first two years of life and a higher incidence of diarrhoeal episodes and respiratory tract infections. In the Nicaraguan setting, the children of women who experienced any history of physical violence had a two-fold increase in risk of death before the age of 5 years, and those whose mothers experienced both physical and sexual violence had a six-fold increase in risk of death. In Bangladesh, an association between violence against women and under-five mortality was found among daughters of educated mothers who were exposed to severe physical violence or a high level of controlling behaviour in marriage. In all four studies, lifetime violence experience among participating mothers was high (37-69%), and the timing was less relevant than the exposure to violence per se. In conclusion, this investigation revealed that violence against women severely affects child health and survival. The findings are especially relevant in a context of high level of child under-nutrition, morbidity and under-five mortality. Efforts for protecting women from all forms of violence are needed as part of the interventions for improved child health.

No description available.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Apesar do declínio dos déficits nutricionais em menores de cinco anos nas últimas décadas, a desnutrição infantil ainda se configura como problema de saúde pública, apresentando altas prevalências em algumas regiões do Brasil e em outros países em desenvolvimento, além de inúmeras repercussões negativas na morbi-mortalidade. A saúde mental materna (SMM) tem sido cada vez mais considerada como um aspecto relevante para a saúde infantil. Apesar disso, pouco enfoque tem sido dado às suas repercussões sobre o estado nutricional infantil. Investigar a associação entre SMM e estado nutricional infantil no sexto mês de vida. Conduziu-se um estudo seccional inserido em uma coorte prospectiva com 235 crianças aos seis meses advindas de unidades básicas de saúde do município do Rio de Janeiro. Para formar os desfechos, médias de peso-para-comprimento e peso-para-idade foram expressas em escores z usando a nova curva de referência da OMS (2006) para menores de cinco anos. Aplicou-se a versão em português do General Health Questionnaire com 12 itens (GHQ-12) e 4 opções de resposta para aferição da SMM. Utilizou-se sistemas de pontuação de forma a gerar duas variáveis discretas: GHQ-bimodal (zero a 12 pontos) e GHQ-Likert (zero a 36 pontos). Tomando como referência a variável GHQ-bimodal, foram empregados os pontos de corte >3 para detecção de transtornos mentais comuns (TMC), >5 para transtornos mentais mais graves e >9 para sintomas depressivos. A análise da associação entre SMM e desfechos nutricionais se baseou em modelos de regressão linear. A amostra revelou escores z médios de 0,23 para peso-para-comprimento e de 0,05 para peso-para-idade. As prevalências de TMC, transtornos mentais mais graves e sintomas depressivos foram de 39,9%, 23,7% e 8,3%, respectivamente. Após ajuste pelo peso ao nascer, maiores pontuações no GHQ-bimodal e GHQ-Likert estiveram associadas a menores médias de peso-para-comprimento. Para este desfecho, os filhos de mulheres com transtornos mentais mais graves tinham, em média, 0,37 escores-z mais baixos em relação aos filhos de mulheres sem estes agravos (p = 0,026). Observou-se, também, uma média de 0,67 escores-z mais baixos em filhos de mulheres com sintomas depressivos em relação aos filhos de mulheres não deprimidas (p = 0,010). Apenas sintomas depressivos na mãe estiveram associados significativamente com valores médios mais baixos de escore-z de peso-para-idade (p = 0,041). Não se observou associação significante entre TMC e os desfechos avaliados. A SMM esteve relacionada à inadequação do estado nutricional de crianças aos seis meses. O reconhecimento precoce e tratamento destes agravos durante o puerpério poderiam ser estratégias adjuvantes para melhorar a situação nutricional infantil e, por fim, reduzir a morbi-mortalidade associada aos déficits nutricionais. / Despite the decline of nutritional deficits in children under five years in the last decades, infant malnutrition remains a public health problem, with high prevalence in some regions of Brazil and other developing countries and numerous adverse effects on morbidity and mortality. Maternal mental health (MMH) is being increasingly considered a relevant aspect in the context of child health. Nevertheless, little focus has been given to the MMH impact on nutritional status. To investigate the association between maternal mental health and child nutritional status at six months of life. A cross-sectional study inserted in a prospective cohort was conducted with 235 children at six months of age recruited in primary health care centers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. To form the outcomes, means of weight-for-length and weight-for-age were expressed in z scores using the new WHO growth standards (2006) for children under five years of age. The Portuguese version of the General Health Questionnaire with 12 items and four answer options (GHQ-12) was applied to measure MMH. Two scoring systems were used to create discrete variables: GHQ-bimodal score (zero to 12 points) and GHQ-Likert score (zero to 36 points). Using the GHQ-bimodal score a cut-off point of >3 was used for the detection of common mental disorders (CMD), a cut-off of >5 for more severe mental disorders, and a cut-off of >9 for depressive symptoms. Analysis of association between MMH and nutritional outcomes was based on linear regression models. The sample showed average z scores of 0.23 for weight-for-length and 0.05 for weight-for-age. The prevalence of CMD, more severe mental disorders and depression was 39.9%, 23.7% and 8.3%, respectively. After adjusting for birth weight, higher scores of GHQ-bimodal and GHQ-Likert were associated with lower mean z scores of weight-for-length. For this outcome, children of women with more severe mental disorders had, on average, 0.37 z-scores lower when compared to children of women without these disorders (p = 0.026). Also, children of women with depressive symptoms had, on average, 0.67 z-scores lower than those from non-depressive mothers (p = 0.010). Only maternal depressive symptoms showed significantly association with lower weight-for-age (p = 0,041). There was no statistically significant association between TMC and both nutritional outcomes. MMH was related to inadequate nutritional status of children at six months of age. Early recognition and treatment of mental health problems in the postpartum period might be an adjuvant strategy to improve child nutritional status and ultimately reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with nutritional deficits.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Apesar do declínio dos déficits nutricionais em menores de cinco anos nas últimas décadas, a desnutrição infantil ainda se configura como problema de saúde pública, apresentando altas prevalências em algumas regiões do Brasil e em outros países em desenvolvimento, além de inúmeras repercussões negativas na morbi-mortalidade. A saúde mental materna (SMM) tem sido cada vez mais considerada como um aspecto relevante para a saúde infantil. Apesar disso, pouco enfoque tem sido dado às suas repercussões sobre o estado nutricional infantil. Investigar a associação entre SMM e estado nutricional infantil no sexto mês de vida. Conduziu-se um estudo seccional inserido em uma coorte prospectiva com 235 crianças aos seis meses advindas de unidades básicas de saúde do município do Rio de Janeiro. Para formar os desfechos, médias de peso-para-comprimento e peso-para-idade foram expressas em escores z usando a nova curva de referência da OMS (2006) para menores de cinco anos. Aplicou-se a versão em português do General Health Questionnaire com 12 itens (GHQ-12) e 4 opções de resposta para aferição da SMM. Utilizou-se sistemas de pontuação de forma a gerar duas variáveis discretas: GHQ-bimodal (zero a 12 pontos) e GHQ-Likert (zero a 36 pontos). Tomando como referência a variável GHQ-bimodal, foram empregados os pontos de corte >3 para detecção de transtornos mentais comuns (TMC), >5 para transtornos mentais mais graves e >9 para sintomas depressivos. A análise da associação entre SMM e desfechos nutricionais se baseou em modelos de regressão linear. A amostra revelou escores z médios de 0,23 para peso-para-comprimento e de 0,05 para peso-para-idade. As prevalências de TMC, transtornos mentais mais graves e sintomas depressivos foram de 39,9%, 23,7% e 8,3%, respectivamente. Após ajuste pelo peso ao nascer, maiores pontuações no GHQ-bimodal e GHQ-Likert estiveram associadas a menores médias de peso-para-comprimento. Para este desfecho, os filhos de mulheres com transtornos mentais mais graves tinham, em média, 0,37 escores-z mais baixos em relação aos filhos de mulheres sem estes agravos (p = 0,026). Observou-se, também, uma média de 0,67 escores-z mais baixos em filhos de mulheres com sintomas depressivos em relação aos filhos de mulheres não deprimidas (p = 0,010). Apenas sintomas depressivos na mãe estiveram associados significativamente com valores médios mais baixos de escore-z de peso-para-idade (p = 0,041). Não se observou associação significante entre TMC e os desfechos avaliados. A SMM esteve relacionada à inadequação do estado nutricional de crianças aos seis meses. O reconhecimento precoce e tratamento destes agravos durante o puerpério poderiam ser estratégias adjuvantes para melhorar a situação nutricional infantil e, por fim, reduzir a morbi-mortalidade associada aos déficits nutricionais. / Despite the decline of nutritional deficits in children under five years in the last decades, infant malnutrition remains a public health problem, with high prevalence in some regions of Brazil and other developing countries and numerous adverse effects on morbidity and mortality. Maternal mental health (MMH) is being increasingly considered a relevant aspect in the context of child health. Nevertheless, little focus has been given to the MMH impact on nutritional status. To investigate the association between maternal mental health and child nutritional status at six months of life. A cross-sectional study inserted in a prospective cohort was conducted with 235 children at six months of age recruited in primary health care centers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. To form the outcomes, means of weight-for-length and weight-for-age were expressed in z scores using the new WHO growth standards (2006) for children under five years of age. The Portuguese version of the General Health Questionnaire with 12 items and four answer options (GHQ-12) was applied to measure MMH. Two scoring systems were used to create discrete variables: GHQ-bimodal score (zero to 12 points) and GHQ-Likert score (zero to 36 points). Using the GHQ-bimodal score a cut-off point of >3 was used for the detection of common mental disorders (CMD), a cut-off of >5 for more severe mental disorders, and a cut-off of >9 for depressive symptoms. Analysis of association between MMH and nutritional outcomes was based on linear regression models. The sample showed average z scores of 0.23 for weight-for-length and 0.05 for weight-for-age. The prevalence of CMD, more severe mental disorders and depression was 39.9%, 23.7% and 8.3%, respectively. After adjusting for birth weight, higher scores of GHQ-bimodal and GHQ-Likert were associated with lower mean z scores of weight-for-length. For this outcome, children of women with more severe mental disorders had, on average, 0.37 z-scores lower when compared to children of women without these disorders (p = 0.026). Also, children of women with depressive symptoms had, on average, 0.67 z-scores lower than those from non-depressive mothers (p = 0.010). Only maternal depressive symptoms showed significantly association with lower weight-for-age (p = 0,041). There was no statistically significant association between TMC and both nutritional outcomes. MMH was related to inadequate nutritional status of children at six months of age. Early recognition and treatment of mental health problems in the postpartum period might be an adjuvant strategy to improve child nutritional status and ultimately reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with nutritional deficits.