Introduction
The Whole-Child and One-Health perspectives open new angles for understanding how children's development is shaped by the interaction of biological, nutritional, and psychosocial systems. Within the UKRI-GCRF Action Against Stunting Hub (AASH), psychologists collaborate with nutritionists, health scientists, and educators to explore how maternal well-being, caregiving, and learning environments influence early growth and learning in India, Indonesia, and Senegal. This interdisciplinary work advances SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 4 (Quality Education) by promoting a holistic view of early development.
Purpose
This study investigates how maternal mental health, home and preschool learning environments, and early stimulation interact with biological and nutritional risks to shape children's cognitive, language, and motor outcomes.
Method
The AASH is a longitudinal, multisector study that follows mothers from pregnancy through their children's first two years, integrating biological, nutritional, and psychosocial data. Using a Whole-Child framework, data across the three countries were harmonised to link child growth, maternal well-being, home stimulation, and learning contexts. Psychologists contributed to construct mapping, tool adaptation (Bayley-4, IDELA, HOME, MELE), and integration of caregiver and educational indicators. Indonesia, presented as a case example, included 633 mother-child pairs and illustrates how maternal mental health, food environment, and caregiver stimulation relate to child cognition, language, and motor development.
Results and Implications
Across countries, children of mothers with better mental health and richer learning environments achieved higher developmental scores. In Indonesia, preschool participation enhanced school readiness, especially in socio-emotional, motor, and executive-function domains.
Conclusion
Expanding the One-Health framework to include the child's developmental ecosystem highlights how biological and psychosocial risks combine to create a "double disadvantage" for stunted children. By strengthening maternal mental health, caregiver-child engagement, and access to quality early education, Health Psychology can play a vital role in advancing equitable, Whole-Child development