Figure 1 - uploaded by Kenneth Okelo
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Diagram of the hypothesised relationship between prenatal infections, mediator variables and childhood developmental outcomes.
Source publication
Background
Prenatal infections are associated with childhood developmental outcomes such as reduced cognitive abilities, emotional problems and other developmental vulnerabilities. However, there is currently a lack of research examining whether this arises due to potential intermediary variables like low birth weight or preterm birth, or due to so...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... 16 Nevertheless, if associations between prenatal infections and childhood development are caused by MIA rather than genetic factors, then MIA may exert its impact, in part, through some 'mediator variables' (ie, variables appearing in the causal sequence between two other variables 17 ) like low birth weight or preterm birth. This is demonstrated in figure 1. Specifically, low birth weight and preterm birth may be mediator variables because some research suggests: (a) prenatal infections are associated with low birth weight and preterm birth [18][19][20] and (b) preterm birth and low birth weight are in turn associated with poorer child developmental outcomes. ...
Context 2
... 16 Nevertheless, if associations between prenatal infections and childhood development are caused by MIA rather than genetic factors, then MIA may exert its impact, in part, through some 'mediator variables' (ie, variables appearing in the causal sequence between two other variables 17 ) like low birth weight or preterm birth. This is demonstrated in figure 1. Specifically, low birth weight and preterm birth may be mediator variables because some research suggests: (a) prenatal infections are associated with low birth weight and preterm birth [18][19][20] and (b) preterm birth and low birth weight are in turn associated with poorer child developmental outcomes. ...
