Financial Development, Fiscal Balance and Economic Growth Nexus in Nigeria

This study critically examines the effect of financial development and fiscal deficits on economic growth in Nigeria since a decade after independence (1970) and 2012. The study employs a multiple regression model estimated using the classical least square method of estimation. The estimated model results reveal that financial development (FD) measured by ratio of total private claims to gross domestic product, Fiscal balance proxied by fiscal deficit (FD), and exchange rate (ER) exert positive influence on economic growth proxied by real gross domestic product (RGDP) in Nigeria. Also, financial liquidity/ widening measure as ratio of total money supply to gross domestic product (FL) and monetary policy rate (MP) are found to exert negative effects on economic growth in Nigeria during the period under review. The study later rejects the null hypothesis and concludes that financial development and fiscal balance have significant effect on economic growth in Nigeria. The study recommends some policy options of fostering economic growth on the basis of the reported findings. Keywords: Financial Development, Fiscal Policy, Monetary Policy, Economic Growth. Jel Classification:  H30, O40, E62, H60

Penentuan Umur Simpan Kripik Pisang Keju Gorontalo Dengan Pendekatan Kurva Sorpsi Isotermis.[self-life Determination of Gorontalo Chesee Banana Chips Approach to Curve Sorption Isotherm Curve]

Gorontalo cheese banana chips is one of the products of small and medium enterprises that are integrated agro industrial region that has not been included on the packaging, shelf life so that consumers do not know the shelf life of the product. Research carried out by determining the initial moisture content and the determination of the critical water content with organoleptic test. To determine the sorption isotherm curve used five types of salt is NaOH, MgCl2, NaBr, NaCl and BaCl2, and observed every day. Determination of the critical moisture content, equilibrium moisture content, models and sorption isotherm curve, slope, permeability of packaging, weight and packaging for a wide shelf life calculation Labuza on acceleration method to approach the critical moisture content. Total mold testing done to determine how much contamination of mold on cheese samples of banana chips. From this study it can be concluded self-life of cheese banana chips based approach sorption isotherm curve is 116.37 days or 3.88 months. Cheese banana chips which are in critical condition does not contain mold

Prenatal and postnatal lipid-based nutrient supplementation and cognitive, social-emotional, and motor function in preschool-aged children in Ghana: a follow-up of a randomized controlled trial

Background: Adequate nutrition is necessary for brain development during pregnancy and infancy. Few randomized controlled trials of supplementation during these periods have measured later developmental outcomes. Objective: Our objective was to investigate the effects of provision of prenatal and postnatal lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) on child development at preschool age. Methods: We conducted a follow-up study of 966 children aged 4–6 y in 2016, born to women who participated in the International Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements-DYAD trial conducted in Ghana in 2009–2014, representing 79% of eligible children. Women ≤20 weeks of gestation were randomized to daily LNS or multiple micronutrient (MMN) capsules during pregnancy through 6 mo postpartum or iron and folic acid (IFA) capsules during pregnancy and calcium placebo capsules during 6 mo postpartum. Children in the LNS group received LNS from 6 to 18 mo. Primary outcomes of this follow-up study were (1) a cognitive factor score based on a test battery adapted from several standard tests, 2) fine motor score (9-hole pegboard test), and (3) social-emotional difficulties (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; SDQ). Eight secondary outcomes were calculated in specific domains (e.g., language, SDQ prosocial). Analysis was by a complete case intention to treat in a 2-group comparison: LNS compared with non-LNS (MMN + IFA). Results: Children in the LNS group had significantly lower social-emotional difficulties z-scores than children in the non-LNS group (adjusted for child age β = −0.12, 95% CI: −0.25, 0.02, P = 0.087; fully adjusted β = −0.16, 95% CI: −0.29, −0.03, P = 0.013). The effect of LNS on social-emotional difficulties score was larger among children living in households with lower home environment scores (P-interaction = 0.081). No other outcomes differed between the 2 intervention groups. Conclusions: Provision of LNS during the first 1000 d of development improved behavioral function, particularly for children from low nurturing and stimulation households, but did not affect cognition at preschool age in this setting. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov, Identifier NCT00970866

The Effects of Supplementing Maternal and Infant Diets with Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour at Preschool Age in Ghana

Evidence on whether nutritional supplementation affects physical activity (PA) during early childhood is limited. We examined the long-term effects of lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) on total PA, moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) of children at 4–6 years using an accelerometer for 1 week. Their mothers were enrolled in the International Lipid-based Nutrient Supplement-DYAD randomised controlled trial in Ghana, assigned to daily LNS or multiple micronutrients (MMN) during pregnancy through 6 months postpartum or Fe and folic acid (IFA) during pregnancy and placebo for 6 months postpartum. From 6 to 18 months, children in the LNS group received LNS; the other two groups received no supplements. Analysis was done with intention to treat comparing two groups: LNS v. non-LNS (MMN+ IFA). Of the sub-sample of 375 children fitted with accelerometers, 353 provided sufficient data. Median vector magnitude (VM) count was 1374 (interquartile range (IQR) 309), and percentages of time in MVPA and SB were 4·8 (IQR 2) and 31 (IQR 8) %, respectively. The LNS group (n 129) had lower VM (difference in mean −73 (95 % CI −20, −126), P = 0·007) and spent more time in SB (LNS v. non-LNS: 32·3 v. 30·5 %, P = 0·020) than the non-LNS group (n224) but did not differ in MVPA (4·4 v. 4·7 %, P = 0·198). Contrary to expectations, provision of LNS in early life slightly reduced the total PA and increased the time in SB but did not affect time in MVPA. Given reduced social-emotional difficulties in the LNS group previously reported, including hyperactivity, one possible explanation is less restless movement in the LNS group

The Association of Early Linear Growth and Haemoglobin Concentration with Later Cognitive, Motor, and Social–Emotional Development at Preschool Age in Ghana

It is important to identify the periods during childhood when exposure to environmental risk factors results in long‐term neurodevelopmental deficits. Stunting and anaemia may be sensitive indicators of exposure to such risks. In a prospective cohort enrolled before birth, we investigated the association of developmental scores at 4–6 years with (a) birth length and linear growth during three postnatal periods and (2) haemoglobin (Hb) concentration at three time points. Children were participants in a follow‐up study of a randomized controlled trial of nutritional supplementation in Ghana. At 4–6 years, cognitive, motor, and social–emotional developments were assessed using standard tests adapted for this population. We estimated the associations of length‐for‐age z‐score (LAZ) at birth and postnatal linear growth (n = 710) and Hb (n = 617) with developmental scores in regression models, using multistage least squares analysis to calculate uncorrelated residuals for postnatal growth. Cognitive development at 4–6 years was significantly associated with LAZ at birth (β = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.05, 0.19), ΔLAZ from 6 to 18 months (β = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.04, 0.28), and Hb at 18 months (β = 0.13, 95% CI = 0.06, 0.20), but not with ΔLAZ during 0–6 months, ΔLAZ from 18 months to 4–6 years, Hb at 6 months, or Hb at 4–6 years. No evidence of associations with motor or social–emotional development were found. These results suggest that in similar contexts, the earlier periods prior to birth and up to 18 months are more sensitive to risk factors for long‐term cognitive development associated with LAZ and Hb compared with later childhood. This may inform the optimal timing of interventions targeting improved cognitive development

Exposure to a slightly sweet lipid-based nutrient supplement during early life does not increase the level of sweet taste most preferred among 4- to 6-year-old Ghanaian children: follow-up of a randomized controlled trial

Background: The impact of feeding a slightly sweet nutrient supplement early in life on later sweet taste preference is unknown. Objective: We tested the hypothesis that the level of sucrose most preferred by 4–6-y-old children exposed to a slightly sweet lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) early in life would not be higher than that of children never exposed to LNS. Design: We followed up children born to women (n = 1,320) who participated in a randomized trial in Ghana. In one group, LNS was provided to women on a daily basis during pregnancy and the first 6 mo postpartum and to their infants from age 6 to 18 mo (LNS group). The control groups received daily iron and folic acid or multiple micronutrients during pregnancy and the first 6 mo postpartum, with no infant supplementation (non-LNS group). At age 4–6 y, we randomly selected a subsample of children (n = 775) to assess the concentration of sucrose most preferred using the Monell 2-series, forced-choice, paired-comparison tracking procedure. We compared LNS with non-LNS group differences using a noninferiority margin of 5% weight/volume (wt/vol). Results: Of the 624 children tested, most (61%) provided reliable responses. Among all children, the mean ± SD sucrose solution most preferred (% wt/vol) was 14.6 ± 8.6 (LNS group 14.9 ± 8.7; non-LNS group 14.2 ± 8.4). However, among children with reliable responses, it was 17.0 ± 10.2 (LNS group 17.5 ± 10.4; non-LNS group 16.5 ± 10.0). The upper level of the 95% CI of the difference between groups did not exceed the noninferiority margin in either the full sample or those with reliable responses, indicating that the LNS group did not have a higher sweet preference than the non-LNS group. Conclusion: Exposure to a slightly sweet nutrient supplement early in life did not increase the level of sweet taste most preferred during childhood. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00970866

Maternal and Infant Lipid-Based Nutritional Supplementation Increases Height of Ghanaian Children at 4–6 Years Only if the Mother Was Not Overweight Before Conception

Background Few studies have evaluated the long-term effects of nutritional supplementation during the first 1000 d of life. We previously reported that maternal and child lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) increased child length by 18 mo. Objective The aim of this study was to examine the effects of LNS on later growth and body composition at 4–6 y of age. Design This was a follow-up of children in the International Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements (iLiNS)-DYAD trial in Ghana. Women (n = 1320) at ≤20 weeks of gestation were randomly assigned to: 1) iron and folic acid during pregnancy and 200 mg calcium/d for 6 mo postpartum, 2) multiple micronutrients (1–2 RDA of 18 vitamins and minerals) during both periods, or 3) maternal LNS during both periods plus child LNS from 6 to 18 mo. At 4–6 y, we compared height, height-for-age z score (HAZ), and % body fat (deuterium dilution method) between the LNS group and the 2 non-LNS groups combined. Results Data were available for 961 children (76.5% of live births). There were no significant differences between LNS compared with non-LNS groups in height [106.7 compared with 106.3 cm (mean difference, MD, 0.36; P = 0.226)], HAZ [−0.49 compared with −0.57 (MD = 0.08; P = 0.226)], stunting (\u3c -2 SD) [6.5 compared with 6.3% (OR = 1.00; P = 0.993)], or % body fat [15.5 compared with 15.3% (MD = 0.16; P = 0.630)]. However, there was an interaction with maternal prepregnancy BMI (kg/m2) (P-interaction = 0.046 before correction for multiple testing): among children of women with BMI \u3c 25 , LNS children were taller than non-LNS children (+1.1 cm, P = 0.017), whereas there was no difference among children of women with BMI ≥ 25 (+0.1 cm; P = 0.874). Conclusions There was no overall effect of LNS on height at 4–6 y in this cohort, which had a low stunting rate, but height was greater in the LNS group among children of nonoverweight/obese women. There was no adverse impact of LNS on body composition. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00970866

The impact of maternal supplementation during pregnancy and the first 6 months postpartum on the growth status of the next child born after the intervention period: Follow‐up results from Bangladesh and Ghana

Pregnancy and breastfeeding make demands on maternal nutrient stores. The extent of depletion and the degree to which nutrient stores are replenished between pregnancies has implications for a mother\u27s nutritional status at conception of the subsequent child and therefore that child\u27s birth outcomes and growth. Using follow‐up data collected several years after a randomized effectiveness trial conducted in rural Bangladesh and a randomized efficacy trial conducted in semiurban Ghana, we evaluated the impact of maternal supplementation with small‐quantity lipid‐based nutrient supplements (LNS) or multiple micronutrients (MMN) through pregnancy (the index pregnancy) and 6 months postpartum on the growth status of the next living younger sibling conceived and born after the index pregnancy. In both Bangladesh (n = 472 younger siblings) and Ghana (n = 327 younger siblings), there were no overall differences in the growth status or the prevalence of undernutrition among younger siblings whose mothers had received LNS (or MMN, Ghana only) during and after the index pregnancy compared with the younger siblings of mothers who had received iron plus folic acid (IFA) during the index pregnancy (Ghana) or during and for 3 months after the index pregnancy (Bangladesh). These findings do not indicate that preconception nutrition interventions do not improve child growth. Rather, they suggest that any benefits of maternal LNS or MMN supplementation during one pregnancy and for 6 months postpartum are unlikely to extend to the growth of her next child beyond any effects due to IFA alone

Ghanaian Parents\u27 Perceptions of Pre and Postnatal Nutrient Supplements and their Effects

Small‐quantity lipid‐based nutrient supplements (SQ‐LNS) have been studied in efficacy and effectiveness trials, but little is known about how parents perceive the products and their effects. In a randomised trial in Ghana, efficacy of SQ‐LNS provided to women during pregnancy and the first 6 months postpartum and to their children from 6 to 18 months of age was assessed by comparison with iron‐folic acid (IFA) capsules and multiple micronutrient (MMN) capsules provided to women. In a follow‐up study conducted when the index children from the original trial were between 4 and 6 years of age, we used survey‐based methods to assess retrospective and current parental perceptions of nutrient supplements generally and of SQ‐LNS and their effects compared with perceptions IFA and MMN capsules. Most parents perceived that the assigned supplements (SQ‐LNS, IFA, or MMN) positively impacted the mother during pregnancy (approximately 89% of both mothers and fathers) and during lactation (84% of mothers and 86% of fathers). Almost all (≥90%) of mothers and fathers perceived that the assigned supplement positively impacted the index child and expected continued positive impacts on the child\u27s health and human capital into the future. A smaller percentage of parents perceived negative impacts of the supplements (7%–17% of mothers and 4%–12% of fathers). Perceptions of positive impacts and of negative impacts did not differ by intervention group. The results suggest that similar populations would likely be receptive to programs to deliver SQ‐LNS or micronutrient capsules

Impact of a nutritional supplement during gestation and early childhood on child salivary cortisol, hair cortisol, and telomere length at 4–6 years of age: a follow-up of a randomized controlled trial

Dysregulation of the stress response can occur early in life and may be affected by nutrition. Our objective was to evaluate the long-term effect of nutritional supplementation during gestation and early childhood on child cortisol and buccal telomere length (a marker of cellular aging) at 4–6 years of age. We conducted a follow-up study of children born to women who participated in a nutritional supplementation trial in Ghana. In one group, a lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) was provided to women during gestation and the first 6 months postpartum and to their infants from age 6 to 18 months. The control groups received either iron and folic acid (IFA) during gestation or multiple micronutrients during gestation and the first 6 months postpartum, with no infant supplementation. At age 4–6 years, we measured hair cortisol, buccal telomere length, and salivary cortisol before and after a stressor. Salivary cortisol was available for 364 children across all three trial arms and hair cortisol and telomere length were available for a subset of children (n = 275 and 278, respectively) from the LNS and IFA groups. Telomere length, salivary cortisol, and hair cortisol did not differ by supplementation group. Overall, these findings suggest that nutritional supplementation given during gestation and early childhood does not have an effect on child stress response or chronic stress in children at 4–6 years