Determinants of Body Mass Index and Intelligence Quotient of Elementary School Children in Mountain Area of Nepal: An Explorative Study

Ranabhat, Chhabi Lal; Kim, Chun-Bae; Park, Myung-Bae; Kim, Chang Soo; Freidoony, Leila

doi:10.3390/children3010003

Cited by 12 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…Children may also be exposed to smoking substances as residue in smokers’ homes and buildings, despite indoor smoking ban. Also, their age is transitional due to their physical growth and development [ 9 ]. This occurs because tobacco smoke leaves behind a toxic residue (also known as third hand smoke [THS]) on surfaces and in the dust that smokers take into the homes, on their clothes, and on their body.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of parental smoking on their children’s urine cotinine level in Korea: A population-based study

Park

Ranabhat

2021

PLoS ONE

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Background Children may be exposed to tobacco products in multiple ways if their parents smoke. The risks of exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) are well known. This study aimed to investigate the association between parental smoking and the children’s cotinine level in relation to restricting home smoking, in Korea. Methods Using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Health Examination Survey data from 2014 to 2017, we analyzed urine cotinine data of parents and their non-smoking children (n = 1,403), in whose homes parents prohibited smoking. We performed linear regression analysis by adjusting age, sex, house type, and household income to determine if parent smoking was related to the urine cotinine concentration of their children. In addition, analysis of covariance and Tukey’s post-hoc tests were performed according to parent smoking pattern. Finding Children’s urine cotinine concentrations were positively associated with those of their parents. Children of smoking parents had a significantly higher urine cotinine concentration than that in the group where both parents are non-smokers (diff = 0.933, P < .0001); mothers-only smoker group (diff = 0.511, P = 0.042); and fathers-only smoker group (diff = 0.712, P < .0001). In the fathers-only smoker group, the urine cotinine concentration was significantly higher than that in the group where both parents were non-smoker (diff = 0.221, P < .0001), but not significantly different compared to the mothers-only smoker group (diff = - -0.201, P = 0.388). Children living in apartments were more likely to be exposed to smoking substances. Conclusion This study showed a correlation between parents’ and children’s urine cotinine concentrations, supporting the occurrence of home smoking exposure due to the parents’ smoking habit in Korea. Although avoiding indoor home smoking can decrease the children’s exposure to tobacco, there is a need to identify other ways of smoking exposure and ensure appropriate monitoring and enforcement of banning smoking in the home.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of parental smoking on their children’s urine cotinine level in Korea: A population-based study

Park

Ranabhat

2021

PLoS ONE

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“…At this date, vital health indicators like life expectancy is 71.5 years, infant mortality rate (IMR) is 29.40/1000 live birth, total fertility rate (TFR) 2.1 children per women and population growth rate 1.74% [22]. In remote areas, the weight of children is less than national average [23]. Now, the constitution of Nepal legally assured health as fundamental right but in practice it may take a long time to achieve it.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges and opportunities towards the road of universal health coverage (UHC) in Nepal: a systematic review

Ranabhat

Kim

Singh³

et al. 2019

Arch Public Health

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Background Universal health coverage (UHC) assures all types of health service and protects all citizens financially in any conditions due to illness. Globally, the UN sustainable development goal (SDG) provides high priority for UHC as a health related goal. The National health system of Nepal has prioritized in similar way. The aim of this study is to explore the challenges and opportunities on the road to UHC in Nepal. Method We used varieties of search terminologies with popular search engines like PubMed, Google, Google Scholar, etc. to identify studies regarding Nepal’s progress towards UHC. Reports of original studies, policies, guidelines and government manuals were taken from the web pages of Ministry of Health and its department/division. Searches were designed to identify the status of service coverage on UHC, financial protection on health particularly, health insurance coverage with its legal status. Other associated factors related to UHC were also explored and presented in Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow chart. Results We found 14 studies that were related to legal assurance, risk pulling and financing of health service, 11 studies associated to UHC service coverage status and, 7 articles linked to government stewardship, health system and governance on health care. Constitutional provision, global support, progress on the health insurance act, decentralization of health service to the grass root level, positive trends of increasing service coverage are seen as opportunities. However, existing volunteer types of health insurance, misleading role of trade unions and high proportion of population outside the country are main challenges. The political commitment under the changing political context, a sense of national priority and international support were identified as the facilitating factors towards UHC. Conclusion To achieve UHC, service and population coverage of health services has to be expanded along with financial protection for marginalized communities. Government stewardship, support of stakeholders and fair contribution and distribution of resources by appropriate health financing modality can speed up the path of UHC in Nepal.

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“…Malnutrition is a major health issue as it increases childhood morbidity and mortality (6 million deaths per year in developing countries) and leads to permanent impairment of physical and mental growth [ 21 ], most particularly in low-income countries (LICs) [ 2 , 3 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ]. Socio-economic status (as expressed by poverty status) is the other well-known predictor to impeding children’s cognitive development, as evidenced in LICs such as Chile, Iran, Nepal, India, and Malaysia [ 2 , 3 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ]. Environmental issues may also delay brain maturing owing to the ingestion of neurotoxic metals that are known to interfere with the central nervous system [ 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tap Water Consumption Is Associated with Schoolchildren’s Cognitive Deficits in Afghanistan

Shinwari

Véron

Abdianwall

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Environmental influence on intelligence quotient (IQ) is poorly understood in developing countries. We conducted the first cross-sectional investigation to assess the role of socio-economic and environmental factors on schoolchildren’s IQ in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. A representative sample of 245 schoolchildren aged 7–15 was randomly selected in five schools. Children’s records included: non-verbal IQ TONI-1 scale, body mass index, socio-economic status, and further environmental indicators (water supply, proximity to a heavy-traffic road, use of surma traditional cosmetics). The mean age of the children was 11.7 years old (±2.0 years), and 70.2% and 29.8% were male and female, respectively. The children’s mean IQ was 83.8 (±12.6). In total, 37 (14.9%) of the children were overweight, 78 (31.5%) were living below the USD 1.25 poverty line, 133 (53.6%) used tap water supply, 76 (30.6%) used surma, and 166 (66.9%) were exposed to heavy road traffic. The children’s IQ was significantly and independently lowered by tap water use (−3.9; 95% CI [−7.1; −0.6]) and by aging (−1.4; 95% CI [−2.2; −0.6]), as revealed in multivariate analysis, independently of gender, socio-economic status, exposure to heavy road traffic, overweight status, and surma use. Lower IQ among older children is possibly attributed to chronic stress experienced by adolescents due to living conditions in Afghanistan. While using tap water prevents fecal peril, it may expose children to toxic elements such as lead which is known to lower their intellectual development.

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Determinants of Body Mass Index and Intelligence Quotient of Elementary School Children in Mountain Area of Nepal: An Explorative Study

Cited by 12 publications

References 61 publications

Effect of parental smoking on their children’s urine cotinine level in Korea: A population-based study

Effect of parental smoking on their children’s urine cotinine level in Korea: A population-based study

Challenges and opportunities towards the road of universal health coverage (UHC) in Nepal: a systematic review

Tap Water Consumption Is Associated with Schoolchildren’s Cognitive Deficits in Afghanistan

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