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Age estimation in the living: A scoping review of population data for skeletal and dental methods. Forensic Sci Int 2021; 320:110689. [PMID: 33561788 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.110689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Age estimation of living individuals has become a crucial part of the forensic practice, especially due to the global increase in cross-border migration. The low rate of birth registration in many countries, hence of identification documents of migrants, especially in Africa and Asia, highlights the importance of reliable methods for age estimation of living individuals. Despite the fact that a number of skeletal and dental methods for age estimation have been developed, their main limitation is that they are based on specific reference samples and there is still no consensus among researchers on whether these methods can be applied to all populations. Though this issue remains still unsolved, population information at a glance could be useful for forensic practitioners dealing with such issues. This study aims at presenting a scoping review and mapping of the current situation concerning population data for skeletal (hand-wrist and clavicle) and dental methods (teeth eruption and third molar formation) for age estimation in the living. Two hundred studies on the rate of skeletal maturation and four hundred thirty-nine on the rate of dental maturation were found, covering the period from 1952 and 2020 for a total of ninety-eight countries. For most of the western and central African countries there are currently no data on the rate of skeletal and dental maturation. The same applies to the countries of the Middle East, as well as the eastern European countries, especially as regard the skeletal development.
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Runestad Connour J, Glander KE. Sexual dimorphism and growth in Alouatta palliata based on 20+ years of field data. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 172:545-566. [PMID: 32474912 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Alouatta palliata patterns of growth and sexual dimorphism are evaluated using 20 plus years of field data. Comparisons are made to other species of Alouatta and other New World primates. MATERIALS AND METHODS Records of 92 A. palliata from Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica, were used to generate growth curves for body mass and linear measurements. Timing of growth for the properties was compared, and males and females were contrasted. Slopes and elevations for periods of rapid growth were evaluated. Growth allometry and proportion ratios were also explored. RESULTS Body mass growth is rapid during the first 2 years. Males and females begin to diverge around a year of age as male growth increases and female growth slows. Adult mass for both is reached about 4 years of age. Linear measurements show rapid growth the first 18 months for both sexes. Differences develop as males continue the same rate of linear growth while female growth slows. Adult size is reached for head and body length around 3 years, and for hind-foot and tail lengths around 2 years. DISCUSSION A. palliata males grow in mass more rapidly than females, while both grow similarly in linear dimensions, so that dimorphism is more pronounced in mass. This pattern is seen in other dimorphic New World primates. Male A. palliata may grow more rapidly than A. seniculus, reflecting earlier emigration for A. palliata males. Linear dimensions reach adult proportions earlier than body mass. For hind-foot and tail, this is probably an adaptation for gripping.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kenneth E Glander
- Evolutionary Anthropology Department, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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3
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Mansukoski L, Bogin B, Galvez-Sobral JA, Furlán L, Johnson W. Differences and secular trends in childhood IQ trajectories in Guatemala City. INTELLIGENCE 2020; 80:101438. [PMID: 32508371 PMCID: PMC7263732 DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2020.101438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
This study documents differences in childhood IQ trajectories of Guatemala City children, aged 6-15 years and born 1961-1993, according to school attended, height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ) and over time (Flynn effect). IQ data come from the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala Longitudinal Study of Child and Adolescent Development. IQ was measured using standardised tests from the Otis-Lennon Mental Ability Test-series. A multilevel model was developed to describe 60,986 IQ observations (level 1), in 22,724 children (level 2), in five schools representing students of different socioeconomic status (SES) (level 3). Average IQ trajectories differed by school. The difference in average IQ at age 11 years between the students of high and low SES schools was 28.7 points. A one-unit increase in HAZ was associated with a 1.42 (0.72, 2.11) unit higher IQ if HAZ was <0, this association was stronger in public compared to private schools. Conversely, one unit increase in HAZ was only associated with a 0.3 (0.001, 0.5) unit higher IQ if HAZ was ≥0. With each birth year increase, IQ at age 11 years increased by 0.14 (95% CI 0.12, 0.16) units, although this Flynn effect attenuated slightly across adolescence. We found no evidence of secular change in the inequality in IQ trajectories (according to school or HAZ). Shorter children from disadvantaged schools in Guatemala City have lower IQ than their taller and wealthier peers, possibly reflecting the damaging effects of poor early life environments both for linear growth and cognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liina Mansukoski
- Centre for Global Child Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Barry Bogin
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
- UCSD/Salk Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA), USA
| | - J. Andres Galvez-Sobral
- Centro de Investigaciones Educativas, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala
| | - Luis Furlán
- Centro de Estudios en Informática Aplicada, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala
| | - William Johnson
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
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Hoke MK, Leatherman TL. Secular trends in growth in the high-altitude district of Nuñoa, Peru 1964-2015. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 168:200-208. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Morgan K. Hoke
- Department of Anthropology; University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia Pennsylvania
- Population Studies Center; University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia Pennsylvania
| | - Thomas L. Leatherman
- Department of Anthropology; University of Massachusetts Amherst; Amherst Massachusetts
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Prall SP, Scelza BA. Child fosterage and sex-biased nutritional outcomes among Namibian pastoralists. Am J Hum Biol 2017; 29. [PMID: 28905440 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Across cultures, fosterage has been shown to impact child health. Contextual factors, such as the reason for fosterage and the relationship between foster parent and child, are known to magnify variance in nutritional outcomes for foster children. Another important, but less studied, factor is the role of gender. Sex-biases in physiology and cultural norms are both known to affect child nutrition, and we posit these effects might be magnified in the presence of fosterage. In this study, we investigate how sex interacts with fosterage to affect nutritional outcomes among Namibian pastoralists. METHODS Anthropometrics for children and adults were collected using standard procedures, and linear models were used to predict the effects of age, sex, and fosterage on height, weight, and body mass index Z-scores. Semi-structured interviews with adults provided context for understanding sex specific reasons for fosterage and biases in investment. RESULTS Boys in this population have lower nutritional scores than girls, and fostered boys have lower weight and BMI Z-scores than nonfostered boys. Fostered girls have lower height Z-scores and are more likely to be stunted and underweight than nonfostered girls. These effects extend into adulthood, with fostered women being shorter than their nonfostered counterparts. CONCLUSIONS Sex plays a role in the nutritional impact of fosterage among Himba children. These differences could be related to differential child labor demands, investment patterns, and the divergent reasons girls and boys are placed into fosterage. Future studies should consider how fosterage can magnify existing biases, like sex, when studying its impact on child health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean P Prall
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, 90095-1553
| | - Brooke A Scelza
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, 90095-1553
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Marklein KE, Leahy RE, Crews DE. In sickness and in death: Assessing frailty in human skeletal remains. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 161:208-25. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2016] [Revised: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Rachael E. Leahy
- Department of Anthropology; The Ohio State University; Columbus Ohio 43210
| | - Douglas E. Crews
- Department of Anthropology; The Ohio State University; Columbus Ohio 43210
- College of Public Health, The Ohio State University; Columbus Ohio 43210
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7
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Nikitovic D, Bogin B. Ontogeny of sexual size dimorphism and environmental quality in Guatemalan children. Am J Hum Biol 2013; 26:117-23. [DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2013] [Revised: 11/06/2013] [Accepted: 11/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dejana Nikitovic
- Department of Anthropology; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario Canada M5S 2S2
- Department of Anthropology; University of Toronto Scarborough; Toronto Ontario Canada M1C 1A4
| | - Barry Bogin
- Centre for Global Health & Human Development; SSEHS, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU; United Kingdom
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Whitley E, Gunnell D, Davey Smith G, Holly JM, Martin RM. Childhood circumstances and anthropometry: The Boyd Orr cohort. Ann Hum Biol 2009; 35:518-34. [DOI: 10.1080/03014460802294250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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9
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Bogin B, Keep R. Eight thousand years of economic and political history in Latin America revealed by anthropometry. Ann Hum Biol 1999; 26:333-51. [PMID: 10462154 DOI: 10.1080/030144699282651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Human growth in height may be used as a cumulative record of the nutritional and health history of a person or a population, and often reflects the economic, social and political environment in which those people live. This paper explores the relationship between growth in height and the economic, social and political environment in Latin American populations. Adult height is analysed over an 8250 year period. It is shown that economic, social and political change prior to the European conquest of the Americas resulted in positive and negative trends in mean stature. Following the European conquest, there was a decline in mean adult stature in Middle and South America that continued until about 1939. From 1940 to 1989 there was a trend for increasing mean stature. A negative trend in stature for children is found in a second analysis. Economic decline and political unrest in Guatemala since 1978 is associated with a significant decline in the mean stature of 10- and 11-year-old children from families from very high, moderate, and very low socioeconomic status.
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MESH Headings
- Adult
- Anthropometry
- Archaeology
- Body Height
- Child
- Female
- Growth
- History, 15th Century
- History, 16th Century
- History, 17th Century
- History, 18th Century
- History, 19th Century
- History, 20th Century
- History, Ancient
- History, Medieval
- Humans
- Indians, Central American/history
- Indians, South American/history
- Latin America
- Male
- Politics
- Socioeconomic Factors
- Warfare
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Affiliation(s)
- B Bogin
- Department of Behavioural Sciences, University of Michigan-Dearborn, 48128, USA.
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Crooks DL. Child growth and nutritional status in a high-poverty community in eastern Kentucky. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 1999; 109:129-42. [PMID: 10342469 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-8644(199905)109:1<129::aid-ajpa10>3.0.co;2-f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The research reported in this paper examines the relationship between household socioeconomic measures, child growth, and nutritional status in a community in eastern Kentucky with a high rate of poverty. It is based on the premise that child growth and nutritional status reflect the social circumstances in which they occur. 21.6% of the children exhibited low height (<15th percentile of National Center for Health Statistics [NCHS] reference values), with 13% of the girls exhibiting stunting (<5th percentile). Thirty-three percent of the children exhibited overweight, and 13% exhibited obesity (>85th percentile and >95th percentile of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey [NHANES] reference values, respectively); 21.4% of boys were obese, compared to 8.7% of girls. Analysis of variance indicated that child stature is best explained by the father's education level interacting with employment status, and by the mother's employment status interacting with household poverty level. Weight is best explained by the mother's employment status. However, the relationships among socioeconomic measures and growth outcomes differed by gender of the child. These issues are discussed in light of the anthropology literature and the situation in Bridges County, Kentucky where the research took place.
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Affiliation(s)
- D L Crooks
- Department of Anthropology, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40506-0024, USA.
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11
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Bogin B, Loucky J. Plasticity, political economy, and physical growth status of Guatemala Maya children living in the United States. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 1997; 102:17-32. [PMID: 9034036 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-8644(199701)102:1<17::aid-ajpa3>3.0.co;2-a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Migration of Maya refugees to the United States since the late 1970s affords the opportunity to study the consequences of life in a new environment on the growth of Maya children. The children of this study live in Indiantown, Florida, and Los Angeles, California. Maya children between 4 and 14 years old (n = 240) were measured for height, weight, fatness, and muscularity. Overall, compared with reference data for the United States, the Maya children are, on average, healthy and well nourished. They are taller and heavier and carry more fat and muscle mass than Maya children living in a village in Guatemala. However, they are shorter, on average, than children of black, Mexican-American, and white ethnicity living in Indiantown. Children of Maya immigrants born in the United States tend to be taller than immigrant children born in Guatemala or Mexico. Families that invest economic and social resources in their children have taller children. More economic successful families have taller children. Migration theory and political economy theory from the social sciences are combined with plasticity theory and life history theory (parental investment) from biology to interpret these data.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Bogin
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Michigan-Dearborn 48128, USA
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12
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Schneiderman ED, Willis SM, Kowalski CJ. A PC program for classification into one of several groups on the basis of longitudinal data. Comput Biol Med 1994; 24:323-8. [PMID: 7842654 DOI: 10.1016/0010-4825(94)90029-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
A stand-alone, menu-driven PC program, ZCLASS, written in GAUSS386i, for classifying subjects into one of several distinct, existing groups on the basis of longitudinal data is described, illustrated, and made available to interested readers. The program accepts data from studies where common times of measurement are planned, but missing data are accommodated in that one or more measurement sequences may be incomplete.
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Affiliation(s)
- E D Schneiderman
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, TX 75266-0677
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Schneiderman ED, Willis SM, Kowalski CJ, Guo IY. Implementation of exact and approximate randomization tests for polynomial growth curves. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIO-MEDICAL COMPUTING 1994; 36:187-92. [PMID: 7960203 DOI: 10.1016/0020-7101(94)90053-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Two stand-alone, menu-driven PC programs, written in GAUSS386i, which compare groups of growth curves in a completely randomized design using either (a) exact or (b) approximate randomization tests, are described, illustrated, and made available to interested readers. The programs accommodate missing data in the context of studies planned to have common times of measurement, but where some of the measurement sequences are incomplete. The measurement whose growth is being monitored need not have a Gaussian distribution. We consider the hypothesis that the mean growth curves in G groups are the same; and either compute the exact P value (exact test), or estimate, and provide a confidence interval for, the P value (approximate test).
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Affiliation(s)
- E D Schneiderman
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Pharmacology, Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, TX 75266-0677
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Crooks DL. Relationship between environment and growth for Mopan children in Belize. Am J Hum Biol 1994; 6:571-584. [DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.1310060505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/1993] [Accepted: 05/03/1994] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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Schneiderman ED, Willis SM, Kowalski CJ, Ten have TR. A GAUSS program for computing the Foulkes-Davis tracking index for polynomial growth curves. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIO-MEDICAL COMPUTING 1993; 32:35-43. [PMID: 8425751 DOI: 10.1016/0020-7101(93)90005-q] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
We have previously published a GAUSS program for computing the Foulkes-Davis tracking index, gamma, from a one-sample longitudinal data set when no assumptions were made concerning the structure of the individual growth curves (Schneiderman et al., Am J Hum Biol, 4 (1992) 417-420). In this paper we consider the computation of the Foulkes-Davis index assuming that each individual growth curve may be adequately represented by a polynomial function in time and a GAUSS program performing these computations is made available. As with the two other tracking indices we have described, gamma and kappa (Schneiderman et al., Am J Hum Biol, 2 (1990) 475-490), this one can be used to evaluate regularity in patterns of growth or adaptation. An example is presented where statural growth in the same three groups considered in the earlier papers are analyzed. The small disparities between these and the earlier results are discussed in view of the different assumptions of the models and the differences in how they operationalize the concept of tracking.
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Affiliation(s)
- E D Schneiderman
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, TX 75246
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Bogin B, Wall M, MacVean RB. Longitudinal analysis of adolescent growth of ladino and Mayan school children in Guatemala: effects of environment and sex. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 1992; 89:447-57. [PMID: 1463089 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.1330890406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The rate of growth in height and the timing of adolescent growth events are analyzed for two samples of Guatemalan children. One sample includes Mayan school children, 33 boys and 12 girls between the ages of 5.00 to 17.99 years, living under poor conditions for growth and development. The second sample includes ladino children, 78 boys and 85 girls of the same age range, living under favorable conditions for growth. The Preece-Baines model I function is used to estimate mean values for rates and timing of childhood and adolescent growth events for the two groups. Significant statistical contrasts (t-tests) of these means show Mayan boys reach the age of "take-off" (TO; the onset of the adolescent growth spurt) 1.45 years later, achieve peak height velocity (PHV) 1.68 years later, and continue growing for about 2.0 years longer than do the ladino boys. Despite the Mayan boys' increased duration for growth they grow significantly more slowly than the ladinos. Mayan boys are 6.60 cm shorter than ladinos at the age of TO and are estimated to be 7.71 cm shorter than the ladinos at adulthood. Mayan girls reach the age of TO 0.93 years later than do the ladina girls, but the two groups do not differ in the age at PHV or the age at adulthood. The mean height of Mayan girls is significantly less than that of ladinas at the age of TO (6.5 cm), and this difference increases to an estimated 11.14 cm at adulthood. Possible causes of these ethnic and sex-related differences in amounts and rates of growth are discussed in relation to hypotheses about the genetic and environmental determinants of human development.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Bogin
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Michigan, Dearborn 48128
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ten Have TR, Kowalski CJ, Schneiderman ED, Willis SM. A PC program for performing multigroup longitudinal comparisons using the Potthoff-Roy analysis and orthogonal polynomials. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIO-MEDICAL COMPUTING 1992; 30:103-12. [PMID: 1568780 DOI: 10.1016/0020-7101(92)90073-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
A PC-program performing the Potthoff-Roy (PR) multigroup (G-sample) analysis of longtidinal data is described and illustrated. This program and the underlying statistical model are useful in the comparison of several longitudinal samples. Applications include the study of growth, development, adaptation, aging, and treatment effects (in short, any phenomenon in which the passage of time is important) for which serial data are available. Specifically, this method fits polynomials to the average growth curves in the samples, and tests hypotheses concerning the curves themselves and the individual coefficients of the polynomials. The program features the utilization of orthogonal polynomial regression coefficients (OPRCs) and is written in GAUSS, a relatively inexpensive yet comprehensive matrix programming language. It is documented that using OPRCs to comprise the within-individual or time design matrix has several advantages over the more usual choice of the successive-powers-of-t form of this matrix and an example of one important such advantage is provided. GAUSS was employed to make the program readily-accessible (i.e., executable code) to biomedical investigators. The GAUSS compiler is not required to run this program. Information regarding the availability of the program is provided in the Appendix.
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Affiliation(s)
- T R ten Have
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109
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Schneiderman ED, Willis SM, Kowalski CJ, Ten Have TR. PC program for comparing tracking indices in several independent groups. Am J Hum Biol 1992; 4:399-401. [PMID: 28524306 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.1310040316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/1990] [Accepted: 09/02/1991] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
A method for computing a measure of tracking based on Cohen's kappa statistic for one-sample longitudinal data sets was previously described and implemented. This paper shows how one may test the equality of several kappas, each computed from an independent longitudinal sample. Thus, it is possible to formally compare groups of individuals with regard to stability in growth (or adaptive) patterns. Relative assessments of predictability in growth outcomes in different populations can be made with this approach. Also, when a common value of kappa is not contradicted by the data, a method to estimate this value and obtain a confidence interval for it is shown. A menu-driven GAUSS program for carrying out the procedure is described and made available. The method and program are illustrated with three samples of Guatemalan children. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emet D Schneiderman
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, Texas 75246
| | - Stephen M Willis
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, Texas 75246
| | - Charles J Kowalski
- Department of Oral Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Thomas R Ten Have
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
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Abstract
The measurement of within-population growth variability may be a sensitive indicator of environmental quality. Specifically, it is hypothesized that within-population variability will increase in adverse environments. To evaluate this hypothesis the variability in stature growth of three samples of Guatemala school children (5-10 years old) is assessed. These samples include high socioeconomic status (SES) ladinos (84 boys and 98 girls) and low SES ladinos (136 boys and 101 girls) living in Guatemala City and very low SES Mayan Indians (139 boys and 73 girls) living in a rural town near the city. SES is used as a proxy for environmental quality. The coefficient of variation (CV) for distance achieved at each age, or for the increment of growth from age to age, is used as the measure of variability. The three samples differ significantly for variability in stature growth, both for the distance and the increments of growth. Low SES urban ladinos have the largest variability. Very low SES Mayan children have coefficients of variation that are sometimes equal to, and sometimes either larger or smaller than, CVs for the high SES ladinos. The results show that degree of environmental adversity does not correlate uniformly with growth variability. Factors such as rates of infant and early childhood mortality and the greater heterogeneity of the low SES urban environment, compared with the high SES urban or low SES rural environments, may account for differences in the CV in these three samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Bogin
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Michigan-Dearborn 48128
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Schneiderman ED, Kowalski CJ, Have TRT. A GAUSS program for computing an index of tracking from longitudinal observations. Am J Hum Biol 1990; 2:475-490. [PMID: 28520192 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.1310020504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/1989] [Accepted: 03/19/1990] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Tracking can be defined as the tendency of individuals or collections of individuals to stay within a particular course of growth over time relative to other individuals. Thus, tracking describes stability in growth patterns. This paper outlines a statistical procedure for examining tracking in a single sample of measurements made on humans or other animals. This nonparametric procedure, based on Cohen's (1960) kappa statistic, is suitable for equally or unequally spaced serial data that is complete and is appropriate for questions concerning growth as well as other time-dependent phenomena. It is a conceptually simple longitudinal method that affords insight regarding the predictability of growth within a population. For example, by tracking, one can ask if young children who are in the lowest height for age category are likely to end up in that category at an older age. A user-friendly GAUSS program is provided that generates overall as well as individual and track-specific statistics. High-resolution graphic representations of the data are also generated by the program. Examples are presented, including a tracking analysis of Guatemalan Indian children using quartiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emet D Schneiderman
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, Texas, 75246
| | - Charles J Kowalski
- Department of Oral Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 48109
| | - Thomas R Ten Have
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 48109
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