Children with indicators of malnutrition showed impaired social behavior (p < . 0001) as compared with children in the control group with adequate nutritional status. These associations even persisted after controlling for social adversity and parental education.
Social consequences of malnutrition
Undernourished children have weaker immune systems and are thus more susceptible to infections and illnesses . Long-term insufficient nutrient intake and frequent infections can cause stunting, whose effects in terms of delayed motor and cognitive development are largely irreversible.
Our research indicates that malnutrition in early life may result in reduced social responsiveness , a lack of interest in the environment and inadequate emotional development by school age.
Socioeconomic factors like poor, socially deprived, slum dwellers, street kids , etc. Habitat such as those living in inaccessible remote areas, thick forests and mountainous regions e.g., tribal population and nomads.
“The bigger message is give children good nutrition early on,” Liu said. “Not only will it enhance cognitive function but, importantly, promote good social behavior ,” which is essential to brain development and intelligence.
Findings suggest that reducing poor nutrition , alternatively promoting good nutrition, may help promote positive social behavior in early childhood during a critical period for social and neurocognitive development, with implications for improving positive health in adulthood.
How does malnutrition affect development?
Malnutrition can cause permanent, widespread damage to a child’s growth, development and well-being . Stunting in the first 1,000 days is associated with poorer performance in school, both because malnutrition affects brain development, and also because malnourished children are more likely to get sick and miss school.
How does malnutrition affect intellectual development?
The key findings from this study are that malnutrition at age 3 years is associated with poorer verbal and full-scale cognitive ability at age 3 years and poorer VIQ, spatial IQ, full-scale IQ, reading ability, and school and neuropsychologic performance at age 11 years.
How does malnutrition affect someone emotionally?
Malnutrition is also associated with several psychological issues. Mental health problems such as depression and anxiety or a change in mental state due to bereavement can affect a person’s appetite and interest in eating .
How does malnutrition affect emotions?
The functional consequences of such malnutrition include not only physical changes but also psychological changes such as depression, anxiety, irritability, apathy, poor sleep pattern and loss of concentration.
How does malnutrition affect the life of an individual?
slower immune response which increases the risk of getting infections , and increases the length of time that it takes to recover from infection, difficulty staying warm as a result of having less muscle and tissue mass, increasing the risk of hypothermia (the inability to maintain normal body temperature), and.
What is the effect of malnutrition to a child?
Health and physical consequences of prolonged states of malnourishment among children are: delay in their physical growth and motor development ; lower intellectual quotient (IQ), greater behavioural problems and deficient social skills; susceptibility to contracting diseases [1, 2].
Macroscopically, the long-term consequences of malnutrition are daunting to overall economic and social development . A framework developed by UNICEF demonstrates that the underlying causes of malnutrition are multifaceted, including economic, social, and political factors.
During childhood, under-nutrition causes children to have less energy and less interest for learning , which negatively influences cognitive development and academic performance. Under-nutrition will also affect physical growth and maturation, thus affecting growth rate, body weight and ultimately, height.
Healthy eating helps children and young people cope more effectively with stress, better manage their emotions and get a good sleep – all of which assist learning. Most research about nutrition and mental health has focused on adults.
How does nutrition affect behavior?
Fernstrom, also of M.I.T., and others that found that the consumption of certain nutrients can change the levels of brain chemicals that transmit messages between nerve cells . These neurotransmitters, as they are called, regulate a wide variety of brain activities and can affect both mood and performance.
How does nutrition affect a community?
The aim of Community Nutrition actions is to adequate lifestyles related to food consumption patterns in order to improve the quality of life and contribute to health promotion of the population in the community where programs and services are delivered.
Can malnutrition cause behavior problems?
Conclusions. These results indicate that malnutrition predisposes to neurocognitive deficits , which in turn predispose to persistent externalizing behavior problems throughout childhood and adolescence. The findings suggest that reducing early malnutrition may help reduce later antisocial and aggressive behavior.
Why is nutrition important for growth and development?
Adequate nutrition is one of the important factor influencing growth & immunity. A balanced diet must contain sufficient amount of carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and fibre in the required amounts. Each of these nutrients has a vital role in the all-round growth and development of children 1 .
How does malnutrition affect child growth and development?
Under-nutrition reduces immunological capacity to defend against diseases, and recurrent infections, in turn reduce and deprive the body from essential nutrients. This leads to the dismal growth of children which adversely affect child’s mental and physical development and, learning capacity in future life.
A social problem is an issue within the society that makes it difficult for people to achieve their full potential. Poverty, unemployment, unequal opportunity, racism, and malnutrition are examples of social problems. So are substandard housing, employment discrimination, and child abuse and neglect.
What are the negative effects of malnutrition among adolescent?
Among adolescents, stunting is associated with impaired cognitive development and school achievement, reduced economic productivity (5), and poor reproductive health outcomes in females (6). Childhood stunting has also been reported to coexist with overweight or obesity (7, 8).
How does health and nutrition affect development?
Food insecurity has been linked to nutrient deficiencies that lead to learning and development problems, especially among infants and toddlers. Long-term effects include low achievement in school, emotional problems, and poor health .
