title: Determinants of early cognitive development: hierarchical analysis of a longitudinal study.
abstract: The study describes the relationship between anthropometric status, socioeconomic conditions, and quality of home environment and child cognitive development in 320 children from 20 to 42 months of age, randomly selected from 20,000 households that represent the range of socioeconomic and environmental conditions in Salvador, Bahia, Northeast Brazil. The inclusion criterion was to be less than 42 months of age between January and July 1999. Child cognitive development was assessed using the Bayley Scales for Infant Development, and the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment Inventory (HOME) was applied to assess quality of home environment. Anthropometric status was measured using the indicators weight/age and height/age ratios (z-scores), and socioeconomic data were collected through a standard questionnaire. Statistical analysis was conducted through univariate and hierarchical linear regression. Socioeconomic factors were found to have an indirect impact on early cognitive development mediated by the child's proximal environment factors, such as appropriate play materials and games available and school attendance. No independent association was seen between nutritional status and early cognitive development.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brasil. marquesleticia@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Letícia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marques dos Santos
authors.forename: Darci
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Neves dos Santos
authors.forename: Ana Cecília Sousa
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Bastos
authors.forename: Ana Marlúcia Oliveira
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Assis
authors.forename: Matildes Silva
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Prado
authors.forename: Mauricio L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Barreto
mesh_terms: D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors