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Protein-energy supplementation in early-life decreases the odds of mental distress in later adulthood in Guatemala
The detriment to mental health is becoming more pervasive globally, further complicated by an increasing scarcity in mental healthcare access and delivery. This scarcity encouraged looking into alternative preventative options, such as the use of nutrition to enhance mental health, which is gaining more attention in low- and middle-income countries that suffer from a particular pervasiveness of undernutrition. DiGirolamo et al. (2022) investigated if a protein-energy nutritional supplement, administered within the first 1,000 days of life, could reduce the chances of suffering from mental distress during adulthood, compared to a low energy-no protein supplement or to administering supplements outside of the first 1000 days of life. Data on 1,249 participants was extrapolated from a longitudinal cohort protein-energy supplementation trial (1969-1977, ages 0-7 years and follow-up at ages 40-57 on 2017-2018). Adult participants submitted the WHO Self-Reporting Questionnaire 20 (SRQ-20) to evaluate their mental distress, accounting for early-life conditions, current life stress, and other life variables such as education. The results revealed that administering supplements during the first 1,000 days of life was responsible for up to a 63% reduction in the likelihood of suffering from mental distress in adulthood. The authors conclude that populations suffering from undernutrition can benefit from administering a protein-energy supplement during the first 1000 days of life, in terms of a reduction in the odds of suffering from mental distress during adulthood. [NPID: Adult mental distress, early childhood nutrition, longitudinal cohort, low- and middle- income, prevention, protein-energy supplementation]
Year: 2022
