CHILDHOOD MALNUTRITION EFFECTS ON STRESS RESPONSE

儿童营养不良对应激反应的影响

• 批准号: 2660086
• 负责人: LIA C. H. FERNALD
• 金额: $ 0.3万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF LONDON INST OF CHILD HLTH
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 1997
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1997-09-17 至
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2660086
• 关键词: anxiety; behavior test; behavioral /social science research tag; behavioral medicine; child psychology; clinical research; developmental nutrition; environmental adaptation; frustration; human subject; malnutrition; middle childhood (6-11); physiologic stressor; psychological stressor; stress

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.

儿童营养不良是一个全球性的公共卫生问题。 发育迟缓的儿童有许多发育困难，包括 认知功能缺陷和学习成绩不佳。研究 在动物身上发现了早期营养不良和 高度的情绪反应，导致了压力的假设 可能会干扰认知功能。然而，几乎已经有了 没有关于人类探索这种可能性的研究。在我的建议中 博士研究，我会调查应激反应受损的作用 作为促进负发展的潜在中介变量 营养不良儿童的结局。我将检验这一假设 有营养不良病史的儿童更不能 适应新的环境，更容易变得沮丧和焦虑 而不是给孩子们足够的营养。为了解决这个重要的问题， 发育迟缓和非发育迟缓的牙买加儿童将获得 心理压力(如面试、心算、令人沮丧 任务)和身体应激源(如等长握手)。压力 营养不良和营养充足的儿童的反应将是 将行为测量与生理测量相结合进行比较 心血管、肾上腺皮质和自主神经的测量 系统。这项研究的发现将增加我们对 对压力的敏感度增加如何有助于穷人 营养不良儿童的认知和社会发展。