Future scientists linked to PI grant "Trajectories of child nutrition, development and schooling in the context of the Brazilian Amazon"

• Grant number: 25/19263-9
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2026
• End date: February 28, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Bárbara Hatzlhoffer Lourenço
• Grantee: Bárbara Hatzlhoffer Lourenço
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: São Paulo
• Associated research grant: 22/03136-0 - Trajectories of child nutrition, development and schooling in the context of the Brazilian Amazon: opportunities and challenges for reaching human potential, AP.PNGP.PI

Abstract

This proposal combines two activity plans for scientific initiation scholarships associated with the Initial Project grant, "Trajectories of child nutrition, development, and schooling in the context of the Brazilian Amazon: opportunities and challenges for reaching human potential". The projects address the problematic use of smartphones and tablets among school-aged children and examine its associations with relevant aspects of this developmental stage, including risk factors for chronic diseases, behavioral characteristics, and academic performance. The scholarships are part of the school-based follow-up of children participating in the MINA-Brazil Study. This study is conducted in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, and includes physical examinations and structured interviews with children aged 9-10 and their parents/guardians. The plans are linked to the two lines of research of the main project, enhancing the students' research training in a manner consistent with the team's activities in order to: (i) investigate the association between problematic smartphone use and nutritional status, physical activity, and sleep patterns, and (ii) explore the relationship between school performance and bullying behaviors, according to smartphone use profiles. Scholarship recipients will develop an academic training program and improve their skills in hypothesis formulation, literature review, data management and analysis, and scientific writing. Students will learn epidemiological methods applied to relevant public health issues from a life course perspective, particularly in the context of the Brazilian Amazon. Original results will be organized for scientific dissemination. Findings will support the development of feedback and strategies for disseminating knowledge to local managers and study participants, in line with international agendas for promoting the health and well-being of children. (AU)