Journal of Vaccines & Vaccination

Factors associated with the health and cognition of 6 year old to 8 year old children in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Joint Event on 32^nd International Conference on Vaccines and Immunization & 4^th Annual Summit on Infancy, Child Nutrition & Development

November 09-10, 2018 | Atlanta, USA

Oluwakemi Rachel Ajayi

University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Vaccines Vaccin

Abstract:

Objective: To investigate 6 year old to 8 year old children???s health, nutritional status, and cognitive development in a predominantly rural area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Methods: The Cohort study of 1383 children investigating the association of demographic variables (area of residence, sex, pre-school education, HIV status, height for age and hemoglobin level) and family variables (socio-economic status, maternal and paternal level of education), with children???s cognitive performance. The latter was measured using the Grover-Counter Scale of Cognitive Development and subtests of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, second edition (KABC-II). General linear models were used to determine the effect of these predictors. Results: ???Area of residence??? and ???height-for-age??? were the statistically significant factors affecting cognitive test scores, regardless of attending pre-school. Paternal level of education was also significantly associated with the cognitive test scores of the children for all three cognitive test results, whereas HIV status, sex, and their socio-economic status were not. Conclusion: Children with low cognitive scores tended to be stunted (low height-for-age scores), lacked pre-school education and were younger. Area of residence and their parent???s educational level also influenced their cognition.

Biography :

E-mail: Ajayio1@ukzn.ac.za