Maternal and early life nutrition and physical activity: setting the research and intervention agenda for addressing the double burden of malnutrition in South African children

ABSTRACT

Early life is important for later health outcomes, yet there are few studies which adequately address all of the potential early life insults that may affect later life health and growth trajectories. This is particularly evident in low- to middle-income countries such as South Africa, where women of childbearing age are particularly vulnerable to high levels of physical inactivity, malnutrition, and obesity. Pregnancy may therefore be an opportune time to change behaviours and improve maternal and offspring health outcomes, and decrease the inter-generational transfer of risk. We show clear evidence that physical activity and nutrition are important target areas for intervention during pregnancy and in the early years of life, yet that current literature in Africa, and specifically South Africa, is limited. We have outlined the available literature concerning the impact of maternal and early life nutrition and physical activity on the health status of South African children, and have provided some recommendations for future research and policy.

KEYWORDS:

• Public health
• developing countries
• Africa
• pregnancy
• infancy

Responsible Editor Nawi Ng, Umeå University, Sweden

Responsible Editor Nawi Ng, Umeå University, Sweden

Acknowledgments

AP acknowledges The Claude Leon Foundation. LKM acknowledges the Academy of Medical Sciences’ Newton Advanced Fellowship.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Ethics and consent

Not applicable.

Paper context

The importance of the early life period (pregnancy and early childhood) in setting up future health trajectories has been established. In South Africa, information on maternal and infant nutrition and physical activity is limited, and interventions have not yet been conducted. The intergenerational transfer of risk in this vulnerable population is thus of concern. This paper therefore examines current evidence, and recommends future research directions and policy pertaining to pregnancy and early childhood, from a South African context.

Additional information

Funding

The support of the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Human Development at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in the Republic of South Africa towards this research is hereby acknowledged [OPP20160037]. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at, are those of the authors and are not to be attributed to the CoE in Human Development.

Notes on contributors

A. Prioreschi

AP and LKM conceived the idea for this paper and formulated the working group. All authors contributed to the writing of sections and/or reviewing of the draft. AP prepared the complete draft for review.

S. Wrottesley

AP and LKM conceived the idea for this paper and formulated the working group. All authors contributed to the writing of sections and/or reviewing of the draft. AP prepared the complete draft for review.

C. E. Draper

AP and LKM conceived the idea for this paper and formulated the working group. All authors contributed to the writing of sections and/or reviewing of the draft. AP prepared the complete draft for review.

S. A. Tomaz

AP and LKM conceived the idea for this paper and formulated the working group. All authors contributed to the writing of sections and/or reviewing of the draft. AP prepared the complete draft for review.

C. J. Cook

AP and LKM conceived the idea for this paper and formulated the working group. All authors contributed to the writing of sections and/or reviewing of the draft. AP prepared the complete draft for review.

E. D. Watson

AP and LKM conceived the idea for this paper and formulated the working group. All authors contributed to the writing of sections and/or reviewing of the draft. AP prepared the complete draft for review.

M. N. M. Van Poppel

AP and LKM conceived the idea for this paper and formulated the working group. All authors contributed to the writing of sections and/or reviewing of the draft. AP prepared the complete draft for review.

R. Said-Mohamed

AP and LKM conceived the idea for this paper and formulated the working group. All authors contributed to the writing of sections and/or reviewing of the draft. AP prepared the complete draft for review.

S. A. Norris

AP and LKM conceived the idea for this paper and formulated the working group. All authors contributed to the writing of sections and/or reviewing of the draft. AP prepared the complete draft for review.

E. V. Lambert

AP and LKM conceived the idea for this paper and formulated the working group. All authors contributed to the writing of sections and/or reviewing of the draft. AP prepared the complete draft for review.

L. K. Micklesfield

AP and LKM conceived the idea for this paper and formulated the working group. All authors contributed to the writing of sections and/or reviewing of the draft. AP prepared the complete draft for review.