Browsing by Author "Muhoozi, Grace"

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    Associations between sociodemographic exposures, growth and development during infancy with development at the age of eight years among children: Analysis of a maternal education trial in rural Uganda
    (Journal of Global Health, 2024-12-06) Kakwangire, Paul; Ngari, Moses; Muhoozi, Grace; Ane, Cecilie Westerberg; Atukunda, Prudence; Per, Ole Iversen
    Background: Links between early life exposures and child development later in life are not sufficiently explored in low- and middle-income countries. We studied associations between sociodemographic variables, growth and development at six to eight months with developmental outcomes at eight years. Methods: We used data from a maternal education trial which included 511 mother-infant pairs at children's age of six to eight months (baseline). In this follow-up study, data from 361 mother-child pairs were available. Questionnaires were used to collect sociodemographic variables. Growth (anthropometry) was measured by study personnel and converted to z-scores according to the World Health Organization (WHO) growth reference. Child development (cognitive, motor and language) at baseline was assessed using Bayley Scales of Infant and Todler Development, third edition (BSID-III). Development at eight years was measured using two neuropsychological tools: Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children Second Edition (KABC-II) and Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA). Results: Higher weight-for-age z-scores (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.53, 0.98; P = 0.04), better maternal education (aOR = 0.86; 95% CI = 0.78, 0.96; P = 0.03). and better household head education (aOR = 0.86; 95% CI = 0.78, 0.96; P = 0.03) at six to eight months of age were associated with lower odds of scoring below average on KABC-II categorical scores at eight years of age. Motor composite scores and maternal parity at six to eight months of age were positively associated with auditory and visual TOVA scores (all P-values <0.05) at eight years. Cognitive composite scores at six to eight months of age were positively associated with visual TOVA scores (P < 0.05). In contrast, weight-for-length z-scores and household head age were negatively associated with both auditory and visual TOVA scores (P < 0.05). Being a female child was associated with lower auditory and visual TOVA scores (P < 0.05). Conclusions: At six to eight months of age, growth and development, gender, maternal education and parity, and household head age and education were associated with child development at eight years. Interventions emphasising improved growth and development in infancy, as well as parental educational attainment, may improve long-term developmental outcomes.
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    A pragmatic randomized trial to examine the effect of combining healthy diet with mindfulness cognitive therapy to reduce depressive symptoms among university students in a low-resource setting: protocol for the NutriMind Project
    (BMC Psychiatry, 2024-09-11) Kardel, Kristin Reimers; Iversen, Per Ole; Kaaya, Archileo Natigo; Muhoozi, Grace; Veierød, Marit B.; Wangen, Knut Reidar; Børøsund, Elin; Atukunda, Prudence Friberg
    Background Mental health disorders still rank as leading causes of morbidity worldwide despite increasing awareness and improvements in treatment. Notably, low- and middle-income countries like Uganda, are disproportionately affected by such disorders. The burden of depressive symptoms in these countries is particularly high among students, aggravated by poverty, malnutrition, and inadequate public health governance, yet it is clearly under-researched, making it hard to achieve several of UN Sustainability Development Goals. Current treatment options are insufficient to tackle the increased burden of depressive disease. This is more challenging for low-resource regions especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, suggesting the need for alternative treatments that can swiftly be applied if proven effective. The main aim of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) is therefore to examine if a low-cost healthy diet (based on local Ugandan foods) combined with easy-to access mindfulness cognitive therapy can reduce depressive symptoms among university students in Uganda. Methods We will recruit female and male students at Makerere University, the largest public university in Uganda, to an open, intention-to-treat, two-armed RCT. Those who score above a predefined threshold on a self-reported assessment of depressive symptoms, measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies – Depression score (CES-D), are eligible for study inclusion and will be randomized to either an intervention (n = 125) or a control (n = 125) group. The intervention group will receive educational group-based sessions on how to prepare a Mediterranean-type of healthy diet and how to adhere to the principles of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Outcome measures include self-reported depression symptoms, quality of life, and dietary intakes. In addition we will perform a cost-effectiveness analysis. The RCT intervention will last 9 months, followed by additional 15 months with regular data collections. Discussion We here describe a novel approach to treat depressive symptoms among university students living in resource constraint settings, by combining a healthy diet with low threshold psychotherapy. If this intervention succeeds, our project can be viewed as a step towards evidence-based behavior practices for young adults with a common mental disorder (depression) that are beneficial to public mental health initiatives and management. Trial registration The RCT is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT05848973). The date of registration was August 14, 2023. Keywords Depression, Diet, Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), Mental health, Randomized trial, Uganda, University students