CHILDHOOD MALNUTRITION EFFECTS ON STRESS RESPONSE

儿童营养不良是全球性的公共卫生问题 比例。发育迟缓的儿童有许多发展 困难，包括认知功能缺陷和 学校表现。对动物的研究表明 早期营养不良和情绪反应增强之间的联系 这导致了一个假设，即压力会干扰认知能力， 功能然而，几乎没有人参与过研究 探索这种可能性。在我的博士研究中，我将 研究受损的应激反应作为一种潜在的 中介变量有助于负面的发展结果， 营养不良的儿童。我将检验一个假设， 有营养不良史的人， 新的环境，变得沮丧和焦虑更容易比 营养充足的儿童。为了解决这个重要问题， 发育迟缓和非发育迟缓的牙买加儿童将获得 心理压力源（如面试，心算， 令人沮丧的任务）和身体压力源（例如等长握柄）。 营养不良者和营养充足者的压力反应 儿童将使用行为测量进行比较， 心血管、肾上腺皮质和 自主神经系统这项研究的结果将增加 我们对压力敏感性的提高 导致认知和社会发展不良， 营养不良的儿童。

Childhood malnutrition is a public health problem of global proportions. Stunted children have numerous developmental difficulties, including deficits in cognitive functioning and poor school performance. Research with animals has demonstrated a link between early malnutrition and heightened emotional reactivity, leading to the hypothesis that stress could interfere with cognitive functioning. However, there has been almost no research with humans exploring this possibility. In my proposed doctoral research, I will investigate the role of impaired stress response as a potential mediating variable contributing to negative developmental outcomes in malnourished children. I will test the hypothesis that children who have suffered a history of malnutrition are less able to adapt to novel environments, and become frustrated and anxious more easily than adequately nourished children. To address this important question, stunted and non-stunted Jamaican children will be presented with psychological stressors (e.g. interview, mental arithmetic, frustrating tasks) and physical stressors (e.g. isometric handgrip). The stress response of the malnourished and adequately nourished children will be compared using behavioral measures in combination with physiological measures of the cardiovascular, adrenocortical, and autonomic nervous systems. The findings of this research will increase our understanding of how heightened susceptibility to stress may contribute to the poor cognitive and social development of malnourished children.