Determinants of cognitive function in childhood: A cohort study in a middle income context

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that poverty, health and nutrition affect children's cognitive development. This study aimed to examine the relative contributions of both proximal and distal risk factors on child cognitive development, by breaking down the possible causal pathways through which poverty affects cognition. METHODS: This cohort study collected data on family socioeconomic status, household and neighbourhood environmental conditions, child health and nutritional status, psychosocial stimulation and nursery school attendance. The effect of these on Wechsler Pre-School and Primary Scale of Intelligence scores at five years of age was investigated using a multivariable hierarchical analysis, guided by the proposed conceptual framework. RESULTS: Unfavourable socioeconomic conditions, poorly educated mother, absent father, poor sanitary conditions at home and in the neighbourhood and low birth weight were negatively associated with cognitive performance at five years of age, while strong positive associations were found with high levels of domestic stimulation and nursery school attendance. CONCLUSION: Children's cognitive development in urban contexts in developing countries could be substantially increased by interventions promoting early psychosocial stimulation and preschool experience, together with efforts to prevent low birth weight and promote adequate nutritional status

Utilização de serviços de reabilitação pelas crianças e adolescentes dependentes de tecnologia de um hospital materno-infantil no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Use of rehabilitation services by technology-dependent children and adolescents in a maternal and child hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

O objetivo deste estudo é caracterizar descritivamente a dependência tecnológica e a utilização de serviços de reabilitação pela população de crianças e adolescentes de um hospital materno-infantil do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. O estudo transversal descreveu as características demográficas da criança e sócio-econômicas do cuidador e família, como também o tipo de dependência tecnológica e a utilização de serviços de reabilitação. A população do estudo é composta de pré-escolares (56,3%), do sexo masculino (58,3%), residentes na região metropolitana do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (89,6%). São oriundos de famílias com rendimentos mensais até dois salários mínimos (70,9%), cuidados sobretudo por suas mãe (93,8%), que possuem escolaridade menor ou igual ao ensino fundamental (54,2%) e não trabalham (89,6%). Dos entrevistados, um total de 22,9% depende de três tipos diferentes de tecnologias, sendo o suporte medicamentoso (87,5%) a mais utilizada. O tratamento de reabilitação é financiado preponderantemente pelo Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) e instituições filantrópicas, sendo o fisioterapeuta motor (60,4%) o profissional de maior demanda nesse tratamento. O hospital estudado concentra todos os atendimentos médicos especializados e a maior parte dos tratamentos em reabilitação.<br>The objective of this study was to describe the dependence on technology and use of rehabilitation services by children and adolescents in a maternal and child hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Using a cross-sectional design, the following variables were analyzed: gender and age of the children and adolescents, socioeconomic characteristics of the family, technology dependence, and use of rehabilitation services. The majority of the study population consisted of preschoolers (56.3%), boys (58.3%), residing in Greater Metropolitan Rio de Janeiro (89.3%), from low-income families (70.9%), and cared for mainly by their mothers (93.8%), who in turn have low schooling (54.2%) and are unemployed (89.6%). Of the entire study population, 22.9% were dependent on more than three different technologies, with medication as the most prevalent. Government and nonprofit institutions fund the rehabilitation, and physical therapists are the most widely used health professionals during treatment (60.4%). The target hospital provides all of the specialized medical treatment and most of the rehabilitation