Combining conventional and smartphone technologies to evaluate the psychomotor status in chronic malnutrition: A cross-sectional pilot study in sub-Saharan Africa.

Malnutrition remains a pressing health concern in developing nations, contributing to growth delay (stunting) and psychomotor impairments among the youth. Tanzania has the highest prevalence of stunting, yet the psychomotor status of its population has not been previously studied. To address this gap, we gathered anthropometric, nutritional, and psychomotor data from 211 children with the aim of assessing the reliability of digital tools as indicators of psychomotor performance in relation to the nutritional status. Collected anthropometric measures included middle-upper arm circumference (MUAC), triceps skinfold thickness (TST), and handgrip strength, while psychomotor variables were assessed using digital finger tapping test (DFTT), eye-tracking test (ETT), and nine-hole peg test (9HPT). Statistical analysis revealed significant associations between age and both MUAC and handgrip strength (R = 0.5, p < 0.001). Moreover, DFTT and 9HPT demonstrated a correlation with each other (p = 0.026) and with MUAC, handgrip strength, and age (p < 0.001). Notably, lower stature was independently linked to slower horizontal eye movements (p < 0.001). Findings underscores the crucial link between nutrition and psychomotor skills in Tanzanian children. Digital tests like DFTT, ETT, and the 9HPT show promise for assessing psychomotor performance. Addressing malnutrition requires comprehensive interventions. Future research should explore long-term effects of interventions in resource-limited settings.

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Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.