The impact of malnutrition on intelligence at 3 and 11 years of age

The mediating role of temperament

Bibliographic Data

ID9788200
AuthorsPETER H VENABLES (University of York, corresponding author), Adrian Raine (0000-0002-3756-4307, University of Pennsylvania)
Year2016
Volume52
Issue2
Pages205-220
Publication date2016-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueDevelopmental Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0012-1649 • E-ISSN: 1939-0599
PublisherAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037/dev0000046
PMID26569559
OpenAlexW2416611063
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited17

Previous work has shown that malnutrition has deleterious effects on both IQ and aspects of temperament. It is hypothesized that while malnutrition bears a direct relation to IQ, aspects of temperament are also involved in a mediating role so that they produce indirect associations between malnutrition and IQ. The study examines the association of 3 indices of malnutrition-stunting, anemia and wasting-to Verbal IQ (VIQ) and Performance IQ (PIQ) and temperament in 1,376 3-year-old and 11-year-old children in Mauritius. Two dimensions of temperament were extracted from ratings of behavior and were labeled as Uninhibited (UI) and Task Orientation (TO). At age 3 stunting had direct relations to Verbal IQ and Performance IQ and also indirect relations via the mediating effect of temperament (UI but not TO). In the case of anemia there were no direct relations to VIQ or PIQ but both temperament meditators were involved in indirect relations. For wasting, indirect but not direct relations were observed. When age 11 cognitive performance was examined, there were direct relations to stunting and anemia and indirect relations via UI, but not TO. The relations between malnutrition and IQ were graded and linear showing that it is not only when malnutrition is defined by its severest levels that it has an effect on cognitive performance. It is suggested that malnutrition affects those brain structures and functions that are involved in both cognitive behavior and temperament

Cognition · Developmental psychology · Intelligence quotient · Malnutrition · Personality · Psychiatry · Temperament · Wasting · Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Early Childhood Education and Development · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology