Breaking the cycle of undernourished women giving birth to low-birthweight babies
August 30, 2012 -- Nutritional support in first thousand days of child’s life critical to development Despite gains in economic growth, education, and life expectancy in India in recent years, over half of Indian children have stunted (low height…
Searching for answers to causes of childhood depression
February 1, 2012 Over the past decade, scientists have produced a flurry of studies exploring the role of genetic (nature) and environmental factors (nurture) in youth depression, but there has been little consensus on how depression is jointly impacted by…
In developing nations, the rich get heavier while the poor stay thin
Weight-related ailments such as diabetes and heart disease are growing problems in developing countries. But such diseases are affecting mostly the rich. For the most part, according to a Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) study, the poor…
Study raises questions about 'double malnutrition' theory
It has been thought that both underweight and overweight people co-exist in low- and middle-income countries, especially among low socioeconomic status groups. A new study by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and McMaster University and…
Selective abortion of girls appears common throughout India
Over the past decade, an increasing number of families in India appear to be aborting their second child if prenatal tests indicate the child is female, presumably to ensure that at least one child in the family will…
Women's height declining in many low-income countries
April 25, 2011 -- Over the last four decades the average height of women has declined in Africa, stalled in several South American countries, and varied considerably in other low- to middle-income countries, according to a new HSPH…
Economic growth fails to remedy undernutrition in India's children
March 11, 2011 -- Growth in India’s economy since 1992 has not ended undernutrition among children in that country and may require the Indian government to directly invest in appropriate health interventions such as food aid, according to a…
Overweight primarily a problem among wealthier women in low- to middle-income countries
Researchers suggest policies should focus on comprehensive nutritional policy that balances the urgent need to increase nutritional intake among poor, as well as reduce overweight among the rich For immediate release: Monday, November 22, 2010 Boston, MA –…
Researcher looks for links between neighborhoods and health
The environments where people live and work may be linked to health, according to S.V. Subramanian, associate professor of society, human development, and health at the Harvard School of Public Health and a researcher at the Center for Population…
Shorter maternal height associated with more deaths among children in developing countries
For immediate release: April 20, 2010 Boston, MA -- Mothers shorter than 4 feet, 9 inches in low- to middle-income countries had about a 40 percent higher risk of their children dying within the first five years of…