| Title: |
Forty years later: adult health and non-communicable disease following the 1984–1985 Great Ethiopian Famine – a retrospective cohort study |
| Authors: |
Abera, M; Ameya, G; Berhane, M; Grijalva-Eternod, CS; Lelijveld, N; O Donovan, G; Wimborne, E; Anujuo, K; Kirolos, A; Laurentya, O; McKenzie, K; Grenov, B; Wondafrash, M; Gonzales, GB; Girma, T; Abdissa, A; Thompson, D; Opondo, C; Cole, T; Koulman, A; Swann, J; Wells, JC; Kerac, M; Group, CHANGE Study Collaborators |
| Publisher Information: |
BMJ Publishing Group |
| Publication Year: |
2026 |
| Collection: |
Oxford University Research Archive (ORA) |
| Description: |
Background: As the threat of child malnutrition increases, the focus remains mostly on short-term consequences. Long-term sequelae are increasingly recognised but lack strong evidence, and many studies face methodological limitations. Method: A retrospective cohort of survivors of the 1984–1985 Great-Ethiopian Famine was compared with two novel control groups: born post-famine; and age category- and sex-matched controls. Exposure to famine at different age categories was explored (fetal, 0–2, 2–5, 5–10 and 10–18 years). Follow-up was 40 years later. Outcomes included anthropometry, body composition, arterial stiffness, mental health, and risk of cardiometabolic and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Adjusted differences and 95% CI between exposed and controls were calculated. Results: Compared with matched and post-famine controls, adjusted differences (95% CI) for exposed group were: height, −1.4 cm (−2.4 to –0.3) and −2.4 cm (−3.7 to –1.1); weight, −1.4 kg (−2.7 to –0.1) and −1.7 kg (−3.3 to –0.1); diastolic blood pressure (DBP), −2.8 mm Hg (−4.4 to –1.1) and 2.8 mmHg (0.9 to 4.7); handgrip strength, −1.7 kg (−2.7 to –0.6) and −4.1 kg (−5.5 to –2.7); brachial augmentation index, 5.4% (0.3% to 10.5%) and 16.1% (10.1% to 22.1%); aortic augmentation index, 6.0% (1.5% to 10.4%) and 11.7% (6.1% to 17.3%); subscapular skinfold thickness, 1.1 mm (0.2 to 1.9) and 1.2 mm (0.1 to 2.3); triceps skinfold thickness, 1.8 mm (0.8 to 2.7) and 2.1 mm (1.0 to 3.3) and waist-to-height ratio, 0.01 (0.003 to 0.02) and 0.01 (0.001 to 0.02), respectively. When comparing risk by timing of exposure, individuals exposed during early childhood (0–2 years), preschool age (2–5 years), and late childhood (5–10 years) had reduced adult stature of −2.8 cm (–4.8 to –0.9), −2.8 cm (−4.7 to -0.9) and −2.1 cm (–4.0 to −0.2), respectively, and increased triceps skinfold of 1.7 mm (−0.5 to 3.8), 3.2 mm (0.8 to 5.6) and 3.8 mm (1.6 to 6.02), respectively. Conclusions: Early-life famine exposure is associated with smaller adult size and several, but ... |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| DOI: |
10.1136/bmjgh-2025-021721 |
| Availability: |
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2025-021721; https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:e1c46a48-1719-4652-8664-7a8c183d165a |
| Rights: |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess ; CC Attribution (CC BY) |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.8BF2DFB3 |
| Database: |
BASE |