PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Vanishing forests and suffering children: The hidden toll of deforestation in Cambodia

Researcher reveals the health toll of deforestation in Cambodia as forests vanish and children suffer

2024-02-26
(Press-News.org)

Deforestation, a critical consequence of human activity, has garnered significant attention due to its impact on environmental sustainability, biodiversity and climate change. However, an equally pressing yet less explored aspect is the relationship between deforestation and human health, especially in impoverished regions. Scientists have increasingly recognized the detrimental effects of deforestation on various aspects of human health, particularly among children. Studies reveal that children residing in areas with high deforestation rates are at an elevated risk of malaria, respiratory illnesses, diarrheal diseases, and malnutrition. This is particularly alarming given that these regions are often home to the most economically disadvantaged populations, worsening existing health disparities.

 

Despite the growing body of research on the impact of deforestation on child health, there remains a critical gap in understanding how prenatal exposure to deforestation influences early childhood health outcomes. Cambodia serves as an ideal setting to explore this relationship, given its rapid deforestation rates coupled with prevalent child malnutrition and stunting. Over the past few decades, Cambodia has witnessed a drastic loss of forest cover, totaling millions of hectares. Concurrently, child stunting and underweight prevalence rates remain alarmingly high, underscoring the urgent need to examine the interplay between deforestation and child health in this context.

 

A new study by Associate Professor Gabriel Fuentes Cordoba from Sophia University, made available online on December 18, 2023, and published in Volume 52 of the journal Economics and Human Biology, sheds light on this issue, utilizing data from the Cambodian Demographic Health Surveys and combining it with precise forest loss data.

 

“I find that more persisting outcomes like height and weight are negatively associated with deforestation in critical periods in Cambodia. Also, when exploring the mechanisms, this study shows that the health of a vulnerable population, pregnant individuals, is negatively affected a year after deforestation occurs,” explains Dr. Fuentes Cordoba.

 

By running multiple regression specifications, Dr. Fuentes Cordoba examines critical periods of exposure of deforestation before and after birth, focusing on children under the age of five. Key health indicators, including birth weight, height-for-age z-scores, and weight-for-age z-scores, are examined to assess the impact of deforestation on child nutrition and growth.

 

The findings highlight significant associations between deforestation and child health outcomes. Children born in areas with high levels of deforestation in the year before their conception exhibited poorer health outcomes. Also, they were more likely to be shorter for their age, thinner for their height, and had lower birth weights.

 

Furthermore, the study uncovers a concerning link between prenatal deforestation exposure and maternal health. Pregnant females residing in regions with heightened deforestation rates the year before their pregnancy were more likely to experience anemia, serving as a proxy for malaria infection. This suggests that placental malaria may play a significant role in magnifying child health issues related to deforestation.

 

“The findings of this study reiterate the need to consider the impact of activities such as deforestation on the most vulnerable populations, especially among children and pregnant females,” says Dr. Fuentes Cordoba. The study advocates for targeted interventions to mitigate malaria infections among pregnant females in deforestation-prone areas, such as scaling up bed net distribution and promoting indoor residual spraying.

 

“This research shows a negative impact of deforestation on child health. This negative impact may persist into adulthood and affect other aspects of wellbeing such as education acquisition and even wages. My findings indicate that future research should explore this aspect further,” concludes Dr. Fuentes Cordoba.

 

Reference

Title of original paper

Deforestation and child health in Cambodia

Journal

Economics and Human Biology

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.20k23.101343

Authors

Gabriel Fuentes Cordoba1

Affiliations

1Faculty of Liberal Arts, Sophia University

 

About Sophia University

Established as a private Jesuit affiliated university in 1913, Sophia University is one of the most prestigious universities located in the heart of Tokyo, Japan.  Imparting education through 29 departments in 9 faculties and 25 majors in 10 graduate schools, Sophia hosts more than 13,000 students from around the world.

Conceived with the spirit of “For Others, With Others,” Sophia University truly values internationality and neighborliness, and believes in education and research that go beyond national, linguistic, and academic boundaries. Sophia emphasizes on the need for multidisciplinary and fusion research to find solutions for the most pressing global issues like climate change, poverty, conflict, and violence. Over the course of the last century, Sophia has made dedicated efforts to hone future-ready graduates who can contribute their talents and learnings for the benefit of others, and pave the way for a sustainable future while “Bringing the World Together.”

Website: https://www.sophia.ac.jp/eng/

 

About Professor Gabriel Fuentes Cordoba from Sophia University

Professor Gabriel Fuentes Cordoba is an Associate Professor of Economics at Sophia University, Japan. He completed his doctoral studies from Tohoku University before embarking on his career as an academician and researcher. In the Faculty of Liberal Arts, he teaches development economics, economics of poverty, and introductory microeconomics. He specializes in Development Economics and Applied Microeconomics. His current research interests include: the effects of civil conflict on the formation of political beliefs; empirical studies to understand the reasons why indigenous minorities tend to be the poorest individuals of Latin America; and the determinants of household credit.

 

Funding information

This work was financially supported by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI Grant Number 22K13396.

 

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Birth outcomes improve in states that extend driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, research finds

2024-02-26
In 2023, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Minnesota joined a growing list of states that allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses if an applicant can provide certain documentation, such as a foreign birth certificate or passport and evidence of current residency in the state. Altogether, 19 states and the District of Columbia have similar legislation in place. And lawmakers in other states, such as Michigan and Oklahoma, have introduced similar legislation. In many cases, these laws were passed ...

First-in-humans discovery reveals brain chemicals at work influencing social behavior

First-in-humans discovery reveals brain chemicals at work influencing social behavior
2024-02-26
In a study in today’s (Monday Feb. 26) Nature Human Behavior, scientists delve into the world of chemical neuromodulators in the human brain, specifically dopamine and serotonin, to reveal their role in social behavior.  The research, conducted in Parkinson's disease patients undergoing brain surgery while awake, homed in on the brain’s substantia nigra, a crucial area associated with motor control and reward processing.  Led by Virginia Tech computational neuroscientist Read Montague, the international team revealed ...

Shifting focus: Investigators describe changes to pancreatic β cell at onset of Type 1 Diabetes

2024-02-26
BOSTON – About eight million people live with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) worldwide, a chronic autoimmune condition in which the body attacks and destroys its own insulin-producing β-cells (pronounced “beta”) in the pancreas, leading to a lack of insulin and inability to regulate blood sugar. It’s not known why the body suddenly perceives its own β-cells as the enemy; some lines of evidence suggest environmental factors such as viral infections may trigger the onset of T1D, others suggest genetics may also play some role.   Groundbreaking ...

Award-winning researcher dreams of stellar explosions and strives for equity and inclusion in academia

Award-winning researcher dreams of stellar explosions and strives for equity and inclusion in academia
2024-02-26
She studies the giant explosions of dying stars and dreams of experiencing and extracting data from a supernova close to Earth. Professor Irene Tamborra from the Niels Bohr Institute also tirelessly promotes equity and inclusion in research. Today she receives the prestigious Elite Research Prize and DKK 1.2 million in honor of her research in astrophysics.   "I am fascinated by anything that explodes in the sky," Professor Irene Tamborra says as she begins to describe her research. The professor from the University of Copenhagen’s ...

Clinical trial tests combination antibody therapy in adults with advanced cancer

2024-02-26
In an early phase clinical trial, a combination of antibody-based medications targeting the immune system generated promising safety data and anti-tumor activity in individuals with various types of advanced cancer. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. Both medications tested in the trial support immune responses against tumor cells. CS1002 increases the activation and proliferation of T immune cells by binding to a T cell receptor called CTLA-4. CS1003, also called nofazinlimab, ...

Birds and bee lessons as Pacific field trips also solve 'Michener's mystery'

Birds and bee lessons as Pacific field trips also solve Micheners mystery
2024-02-26
Eight new Pacific bee species and new insights into Fijian bird behaviour on Viti Levu Island have been described in new scientific studies led by Flinders University.  The studies, both funded by field work supported by the Australian Government’s New Colombo Mobility Plan Program, highlight the potential for species discovery, ecological and conservation knowledge and cultural engagement from Asia-Pacific research collaborations. In the past 10 years, Australian Government-funded Flinders University field trips have worked closely ...

Can they hear you now? Kids increasingly exposed to noise health risks via earbuds and headphones

Can they hear you now? Kids increasingly exposed to noise health risks via earbuds and headphones
2024-02-26
ANN ARBOR, Mich. –  While it’s not surprising to spot teens wearing headphones and earbuds, it’s also becoming a widespread trend among younger children, a national poll suggests. Two in three parents say their child ages 5-12 uses personal audio devices, with half of parents of children ages 5-8 reporting elementary-aged kids use a device. Among parents whose children use headphones and earbuds, half say kids spend at least an hour a day using them while one in six say a typical ...

How did a tiny bee get to French Polynesia? Eight new species help solve a scientific mystery

How did a tiny bee get to French Polynesia? Eight new species help solve a scientific mystery
2024-02-26
In 1934, American entomologist Elwood Zimmerman, then an undergraduate student at Berkeley, participated in the ‘Mangarevan expedition’ to Polynesia. Among the samples he collected were three tiny (4 mm long), orange-brown solitary bees found on tahetahe flowers in the Tuamotu Archipelago. The specimens rested undisturbed in the Bernice P Bishop Museum of Honolulu until 1965, when the famous bee specialist Prof Charles Michener examined them. He described them as a species new to science: Hylaeus tuamotuensis, or Tuamotu’s masked bee, in the family ...

Many older adults receiving home care do not receive palliative care before death

2024-02-26
Many older adults receiving home care do not receive any palliative home care before death, suggesting we need better methods to identify people who need this support, according to new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.221513. "Palliative care is an essential component of a holistic, comprehensive and patient-centred approach to care for all people with a life-limiting illness from the time of diagnosis with the disease," said Dr. Amy Hsu, investigator at the Bruyère Research Institute and faculty in the Department of Family Medicine at the ...

Reforestation schemes are not enough to recover the carbon created by harvesting wood, research suggests

2024-02-26
Forests have a critical role to play in capturing and storing carbon from the Earth’s atmosphere – but some models exaggerate their carbon removal potential by almost three-fold, according to a leading professor of forest economics. Global Forest Carbon: Policy, Economics and Finance by Runsheng Yin from Michigan State University emphasizes the value of nature-based solutions to the climate crisis but calls for significant changes to the way carbon credits from reforestation, afforestation, and improved forest management are calculated. He has found that current modeling of local ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Preschool education: A key to supporting allophone children

CNIC scientists discover a key mechanism in fat cells that protects the body against energetic excess

Chemical replacement of TNT explosive more harmful to plants, study shows

Scientists reveal possible role of iron sulfides in creating life in terrestrial hot springs

Hormone therapy affects the metabolic health of transgender individuals

Survey of 12 European countries reveals the best and worst for smoke-free homes

First new treatment for asthma attacks in 50 years

Certain HRT tablets linked to increased heart disease and blood clot risk

Talking therapy and rehabilitation probably improve long covid symptoms, but effects modest

Ban medical research with links to the fossil fuel industry, say experts

Different menopausal hormone treatments pose different risks

Novel CAR T cell therapy obe-cel demonstrates high response rates in adult patients with advanced B-cell ALL

Clinical trial at Emory University reveals twice-yearly injection to be 96% effective in HIV prevention

Discovering the traits of extinct birds

Are health care disparities tied to worse outcomes for kids with MS?

For those with CTE, family history of mental illness tied to aggression in middle age

The sound of traffic increases stress and anxiety

Global food yields have grown steadily during last six decades

Children who grow up with pets or on farms may develop allergies at lower rates because their gut microbiome develops with more anaerobic commensals, per fecal analysis in small cohort study

North American Early Paleoindians almost 13,000 years ago used the bones of canids, felids, and hares to create needles in modern-day Wyoming, potentially to make the tailored fur garments which enabl

Higher levels of democracy and lower levels of corruption are associated with more doctors, independent of healthcare spending, per cross-sectional study of 134 countries

In major materials breakthrough, UVA team solves a nearly 200-year-old challenge in polymers

Wyoming research shows early North Americans made needles from fur-bearers

Preclinical tests show mRNA-based treatments effective for blinding condition

Velcro DNA helps build nanorobotic Meccano

Oceans emit sulfur and cool the climate more than previously thought

Nanorobot hand made of DNA grabs viruses for diagnostics and blocks cell entry

Rare, mysterious brain malformations in children linked to protein misfolding, study finds

Newly designed nanomaterial shows promise as antimicrobial agent

Scientists glue two proteins together, driving cancer cells to self-destruct

[Press-News.org] Vanishing forests and suffering children: The hidden toll of deforestation in Cambodia
Researcher reveals the health toll of deforestation in Cambodia as forests vanish and children suffer