Nutrition trajectories until school age in the Brazilian Amazon: implications of integrating different forms of malnutrition to the metabolic profile at 9-10 years

• Grant number: 23/13716-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): December 01, 2023
• Effective date (End): November 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition - Nutritional Analysis of Population
• Principal Investigator: Bárbara Hatzlhoffer Lourenço
• Grantee: Bianca de Melo Guedes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• 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

With the aim of investigating the association of nutrition trajectories with the metabolic profile of children aged 9-10 years in Cruzeiro do Sul (AC), a doctoral student will develop trajectory modeling of profiles considering repeated measurements of weight and height together with micronutrient status (iron and vitamins A and D), which are recognized components of the malnutrition spectrum. The doctoral student will conduct the integration of longitudinal data from the MINA-Brazil Study in follow-ups conducted until the age of 5 years and will participate in training stages, definition of instruments, planning and execution of fieldwork at 9-10 years, at school settings. Interviews and physical examinations will be carried out with participants, and blood samples will be collected. Measurements of weight and height, blood pressure, sexual maturation stages are planned. Concentrations of glucose, insulin, lipid profile and inflammatory markers will be assessed. The plan foresees data cleaning and management routines and the use of mixture modeling techniques to estimate nutrition trajectory profiles up to school age, and their associations with the metabolic profile observed at 9-10 years. The student will have the opportunity to develop an excellent academic training program and improve research skills, collaborate with a team of researchers from national and international institutions, participate in fieldwork and longitudinal data analysis courses, and prepare, publish and present manuscripts, also supporting the construction of strategies for translating the knowledge produced. (AU)