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Background: Nutritional insult in early life brings adaptive changes in body structure and functioning that could remain throughout the affected individual's life course. The long term impact of early life famine exposure on adulthood anthropometric measurements has been recorded in previous studies. However, the results were contradictory. Hence, we extend this study to examine the impact of famine exposure during early life on adulthood's anthropometry among survivors of the 1983-85 Ethiopian great famine., Methods: A total of 1384 adult men and women survived from 1983 to 85 Ethiopian great famine were included in the study. Famine exposure status was classified into five groups: early life-exposed, prenatal-exposed, postnatal-exposed, adolescence-exposed, and non-exposed based on self-reported age and birthdate of the participants. Prenatal, post-natal, and adolescence exposed groups were considered as early life exposed. Following a standard procedure, anthropometric measurements were taken. A linear regression analysis was used to analyze the impact of famine exposure on adult anthropometric measurements adjusted for all possible covariates. The effect of famine exposure on overweight, general obesity, and abdominal obesity was examined using multinomial and binary logistic regression analysis., Result: Compared to non-exposed groups, adult height was lower by 1.83 cm (β = - 1.83; 95% CI: - 3.05, - 0.58), 1.35 cm (β = - 1.35; 95% CI: - 2.56, - 0.14) and 2.07 cm (β = - 2.07 cm; 95% CI: - 3.31, - 0.80) among early life, prenatal and post-natal exposed groups, respectively. Likewise, famine exposure during early life (β = 0.02; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.03), prenatal (β = 0.03; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.03) and post-natal life (β = 0.02; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.03) was positively associated with increased waist to height ratio. However, none of the above exposures resulted in a significant association with body mass index (P > 0. 05). Additionally, exposure to famine during early stage of life was not associated with increased risk of overweight, general obesity and abdominal obesity in adults., Conclusion: Decreased adult height and increased waist-to-height ratio were associated with early life exposure to famine, particularly prenatal and post-natal exposure. These results therefore underscore the significance of avoiding undernutrition in early life, which tends to be important for achieving once potential adult height and to minimize the increased risk of anthropometric markers of abdominal obesity such as waist to height ratio in later life.

Objectives: To investigate the association between early life famine exposure and cognitive function in adults., Design: Historical cohort study SETTING: North Wollo Zone, Northeast Ethiopia., Participants: We recruited 1047 adult men and women aged 30-38 years who had history of early life exposure to Ethiopian great famine. Based on self-reported age and birth date, participants were categorised into famine exposed in early life (prenatal/postnatal) and non-exposed groups., Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measure of this study was cognitive function in adults after early life exposure to famine. Cognitive function was measured using Montreal Cognitive Assessment-basic. Associations between exposure and outcome variables were examined by linear regression analysis models., Results: Adjusted for covariates, early life exposure to famine showed 1.29 (β=-1.29; 95% CI -2.16 to -0.52) points lower cognitive function score compared with non-exposed. Based on subanalysis for timing of famine exposure, postnatal exposure to famine resulted in 2.26 (β=-2.26; 95% CI -3.12 to -1.36) points lower cognitive function score compared with non-exposed groups. Prenatal famine exposure had 1.26 (β=-1.26; 95% CI -2.35 to 0.94) points lower cognitive function score although not statistically significant., Conclusions: Famine exposure in early life was associated with cognitive functions in adults. While the overall findings highlight the importance of optimal nutrition in early life for brain growth and development, the association observed between postnatal famine exposure and adult cognitive function may indicate the relative importance of learning and experience during early childhood for optimal brain development after birth. Further studies are needed to elucidate the potential mechanism behind this association., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)