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Behavioural and genetic correlates of malnutrition
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DOI：10.1017/S0007114526106370.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Childhood undernutrition is a global public health challenge; affecting children unevenly within the same household. This study assessed the behavioural and genetic correlates of malnutrition among children aged 1–3 years in a district of the Greater Accra Region; Ghana. A cross-sectional study involving 262 child-caregiver pairs was conducted. Children were classified as wasted; stunted or healthy based on anthropometric indices. Feeding behaviours – including appetite; food refusal; force feeding and maternal feeding anxiety; were assessed using the International Complementary Feeding Evaluation Tool. Saliva samples were used to genotype nine SNP associated with appetite and energy regulation and a polygenic risk score (PGRS) was generated. Wasted children had significantly lower appetite z-scores (mean difference MD (CI): –0·37 (–0·65; –0·09) and higher z-scores for food refusal (0·30 (0·03; 0·58)) and caregiver feeding anxiety (0·67 (0·39; 0·94)) compared with healthy children. Maternal feeding anxiety attenuated the association between appetite and weight for height z-score while remaining a strong independent predictor. No associations were found between feeding behaviour and stunting. Although force feeding was common (33 % of children); it did not differ by nutritional status. The SNP rs2274333 showed a higher frequency of homozygosity for the AA genotype in wasted children. The PGRS was significantly associated with low appetite (p = 0·046) but not with food refusal or nutritional status. Children with wasting had a lower appetite and a higher food refusal. This is associated with high levels of maternal feeding anxiety; but does not seem to have a strong genetic basis.
Keywords:
Malnutrition
feeding behaviour
polygenic risk
undernutrition
genetics of undernutrition
genome-wide association studies
Household Hunger Scale
polygenic risk score
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