How poverty deteriorate child health? Development of strategy to address child poverty based on mediation analysis

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H03276
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Childhood science (childhood environment science)
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Principal Investigator: Fujiwara Takeo 東京医科歯科大学, 大学院医歯学総合研究科, 教授 (80510213)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 子どもの貧困 / 生活習慣病 / メンタルヘルス / ストレス / レジリエンス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Current study found that, under poverty, children left home alone showed more behavior problems, late parental time at home was also risk for behavior problems, irregular sleep time was also associated with resilience, social capital showed protective effect on behavior problems and measles vaccination, eating vegetable at first of the meal and home cooking showed protective effect on obesity, positive parenting behavior was protective for caries, and passive smoking showed harmful effect on dyslipidemia. Some of our findings were used as health program in some school. We could publish 40 original articles based on this study.

Free Research Field

公衆衛生学、疫学（社会疫学、ライフコース疫学）

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果によって、貧困下にあっても、野菜から摂取するなどの子ども自身で取りうる行動によって健康への悪影響を低減できることが示されたことから、貧困による子どもの不健康、そしてさらに成人後の貧困という悪循環を断ち切るための政策提言につながった。そして実際に学校において実行可能な健康政策として落とし込まれ実施に至った。今後その効果についての検証が望まれるところである。