APH researcher Hekmat Alrouh researched how development and mental health of children are shaped by genetics and environmental factors. He concludes that most children face emotional or behavioural challenges at some point, and that family circumstances and genetics plays a significant role.
For his dissertation, Hekmat Alrouh researched the influences of genetics and family environment on child development and mental health. “I focused on obesity, educational attainment, and overall wellbeing”, Alrouh explains. “With long-term studies tracking families over time, I investigated how body mass index (BMI) pass from parents to children, and whether educational levels of the parents alter these transmission patterns.” Family background plays a significant role: children whose parents are obese or have lower levels of education are more likely to have higher body weight themselves. “This does not always happen just because families have fewer resources; children also inherit genes that affect their health and school performance.”
With this research, Alrouh also wanted to understand why some children maintain good mental health across childhood while others experience difficulties. Alrouh concludes that most children face emotional or behavioural challenges at some point. Alrouh: “Staying completely ‘problem-free’ through childhood is surprisingly rare.”
Read the full article about Alrouh his research on VU.nl
Alrouh's PhD defence will take place on March 26 from 09:45 to 11:15.
This article was copied and shortened from VU.nl