Adolescent understanding of concepts related to the developmental origins of health and disease: a Pacific perspective

Figures & data

Table 1. Demographics (age and gender by ethnicity) of the adolescents that participated in the survey (n = 209).

Characteristics	Total	Māori	Pacific	Other
Age (M ± SD)	17.41$\pm$1.57	17.69$\pm 0$.97	17.27$\pm$1.86	17.49$\pm$1.29
Gender (N,%)	209 (100%)	32 (15%)	105 (50%)	72 (34%)
Male	101 (48%)	15 (15%)	54 (53%)	32 (32%)
Female	108 (52%)	17 (16%)	51 (47%)	40 (37%)

Note: Mean (M) ± standard deviation (SD).

Figure 1. Awareness of the terms ‘Developmental Origins of Health and Disease’ or the ‘First 1000 Days’ by A, ethnicity and B, gender within ethnicity. *p < 0.05.

Figure 2. Adolescents’ awareness of life course determinants of health and wellbeing as explored in statements (i) to (x).

Table 2. Comparison of response distributions across ethnic groups by gender.

DOHaD statements	Gender	p-values	Responses	Pacific (%)	Māori (%)	Other (%)
Statement (i)	Male	P = 0.907	Agree	85.2%a	93.3%a	90.6%a
			Disagree	7.4%a	0.0%a	6.3%a
			I don’t know	7.4%a	6.7%a	3.1%a
	Female	P = 0.248	Agree	88.2%a	76.5%a	95.0%a
			Disagree	7.8%a	11.8%a	2.5%a
			I don’t know	3.9%a	11.8%a	2.5%a
Statement (ii)	Male	P = 0.291	Agree	48.1%a	33.3%a	43.8%a
			Disagree	14.8%a	13.3%a	3.1%a
			I don’t know	37.0%a	53.3%a	53.1%a
	Female	P < 0.001	Agree	41.2%a	58.5%a, b	75.0%b
			Disagree	21.6%a	0.0%a, b	0.0%b
			I don’t know	37.3%a	41.2%a	25.0%a
Statement (iii)	Male	P = 0.247	Agree	20.4%a	13.3%a	34.4%a
			Disagree	29.6%a	20.0%a	12.5%a
			I don’t know	50.0%a	66.7%a	53.1%a
	Female	P < 0.001	Agree	27.5%a	17.6%a	52.5%b
			Disagree	31.4%a	0.0%b	5.0%b
			I don’t know	41.2%a	82.4%b	42.5%a
Statement (iv)	Male	P = 0.526	Agree	59.3%a	53.3%a	53.1%a
			Disagree	13.0%a	0.0%a	12.5%a
			I don’t know	27.8%a	46.7%a	34.4%a
	Female	P = 0.062	Agree	72.5%a	64.7%a	90.0%a
			Disagree	5.9%a	0.0%a	0.0%a
			I don’t know	21.6%a	35.3%a	10.0%a
Statement (v)	Male	P = 0.306	Agree	29.6%a	40.0%a	25.0%a
			Disagree	20.4%a	0.0%a	12.5%a
			I don’t know	50.0%a	60.0%a	62.5%a
	Female	P = 0.215	Agree	33.3%a	35.3%a	52.5%a
			Disagree	11.8%a	0.0%a	5.0%a
			I don’t know	54.9%a	64.7%a	42.5%a
Statement (vi)	Male	P = 0.065	Agree	33.3%a	40.0%a	25.0%a
			Disagree	29.6%a	0.0%b	18.8%a, b
			I don’t know	37.0%a	60.0%a	56.3%a
	Female	P = 0.434	Agree	37.3%a	29.4%a	42.5%a
			Disagree	27.5%a	11.8%a	17.5%a
			I don’t know	35.3%a	58.8%a	40.0%a
Statement (vii)	Male	P = 0.287	Agree	24.1%a	33.3%a	25.0%a
			Disagree	33.3%a	6.7%a	21.9%a
			I don’t know	42.6%a	60.0%a	53.1%a
	Female	P = 0.033	Agree	21.6%a	17.6%a	27.5%a
			Disagree	41.2%a	5.9%b	32.5%a, b
			I don’t know	37.3%a	76.5%b	40.0%a
Statement (viii)	Male	P = 0.239	Agree	59.3%a	60.0%a	71.9%a
			Disagree	11.1%a	0.0%a	0.0%a
			I don’t know	29.6%a	40.0%a	28.1%a
	Female	P = 0.018	Agree	59.6%a	70.6%a, b	87.5%b
			Disagree	7.8%a	0.0%a	0.0%a
			I don’t know	35.3%a	29.4%a, b	12.5%b
Statement (ix)	Male	P = 0.027	Agree	46.3%a	40.0%a	65.5%a
			Disagree	20.4%a	0.0%b	3.1%b
			I don’t know	33.3%a	60.0%a	31.3%a
	Female	P = 0.059	Agree	33.3%a	58.8%a	55.0%a
			Disagree	33.3%a	5.9%a	25.0%a
			I don’t know	33.3%a	35.3%a	20.0%a
Statement (x)	Male	P = 0.437	Agree	90.7%a	93.3%a	100%a
			Disagree	1.9%a	0.0%a	0.0%a
			I don’t know	7.4%a	6.7%a	0.0%a
	Female	P = 0.383	Agree	98.0%a	94.1%a	97.5%a
			Disagree	2.0%a	0.0%a	2.5%a
			I don’t know	0.0%a	5.9%a	0.0%a

Notes: P-values (Fisher’s Exact test) represent the overall effect of ethnicity. Different superscript letters represent differences between ethnic groups for each response option for each statement.

Table 3. Comparison of the distribution of responses detailing the differences in responses between genders within each ethnic group.

DOHaD statements	Pacific	Māori	Other
Statement (i): The food we eat affects our health and wellbeing	P = 0.833	P = 0.603	P = 0.790
Statement (ii): A mother’s health BEFORE pregnancy affects the health of the baby (fetus) during pregnancy	P = 0.618	P = 0.171	P = 0.010
Statement (iii): A father’s health BEFORE his partner becomes pregnant affects the health of the baby (fetus) during pregnancy	P = 0.633	P = 0.206	P = 0.217
Statement (iv): The food a mother eats DURING pregnancy affects the health of the baby (fetus) during the pregnancy	P = 0.289	P = 0.720	P < 0.001
Statement (v): The food a mother eats DURING pregnancy affects the health of the baby in the FIRST TWO YEARS of life	P = 0.518	P = 1.000	P = 0.049
Statement (vi): The food a mother eats DURING pregnancy affects the health of the baby throughout CHILDHOOD	P = 0.911	P = 0.618	P = 0.266
Statement (vii): The food a mother eats DURING pregnancy affects the health of the baby throughout ADULTHOOD	P = 0.725	P = 0.700	P = 0.489
Statement (viii): The food that a CHILD is fed during the first two years of life affects their health throughout CHILDHOOD	P = 0.770	P = 0.712	P = 0.135
Statement (ix): The food that a CHILD is fed during the first two years of life affects their health throughout ADULTHOOD	P = 0.264	P = 0.287	P = 0.033
Statement (x): A mother’s exposure to tobacco smoke DURING pregnancy affects the health of the child	P = 0.118	P = 1.000	P = 1.000

Note: Bolded Fisher’s Exact p-values denote significant differences between gender response distributions within ethnicity.

Figure 3. Awareness by adolescents of the association between maternal nutritional exposures during pregnancy and the health of the offspring across the lifecourse from fetus to adulthood.