Quality early childhood programs help prevent chronic diseases in later life

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-03/ucl-qec032614.php

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 27-Mar-2014

Contact: Harry Dayantis
University College London

Quality early childhood programs help prevent chronic diseases in later life

Disadvantaged children attending early childhood development programs have significantly improved health as adults

Disadvantaged children who attend high-quality early childhood development programs including healthcare and nutrition have significantly improved health as adults, reports a new study.

The study was led by researchers from UCL (University College London), the University of Chicago and the University of North Carolina. These findings build upon existing evidence that high-quality early childhood programs produce better economic and social outcomes for disadvantaged children.

Based on more than three decades of studying children involved in the Abecedarian program in North Carolina, this new research shows that children who participated in the early childhood development program, which combined early education with early health screenings and nutrition, have a significantly lower prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in their mid-30s than children in the control group who did not participate in the program.

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