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Monocello LT, Lavender JM, Fowler LA, Fitzsimmons-Craft EE, Wilfley DE. A cultural models approach to understanding body fatness perceptions and disordered eating in young South Korean men. Int J Eat Disord 2024. [PMID: 38578204 DOI: 10.1002/eat.24200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The eating disorders field has been limited by a predominant focus on White, Western women, and there is growing recognition of the need to understand cross-cultural variation in key constructs (i.e., ideal body types). A transdisciplinary, cultural models approach systematizes the incorporation of an "emic" perspective (a culture's own understandings of phenomena) into assessments of relationships between body shapes and eating disorders. METHOD Eighty-one young South Korean men aged 19-34 years living in Seoul participated in this research. A cultural model of body fatness was identified using cultural consensus analysis during 18 months of ethnographic, mixed-methods fieldwork. Participants also completed questionnaires assessing age, height, weight, sexual identity, university prestige, body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms, and cultural consonance with the Korean cultural model of the ideal male body. Variation in these factors was analyzed using a series of chi-squares and analyses of variance with the culturally defined categories of body fatness as the independent variables. RESULTS Cultural consensus analysis found that young South Korean men are consistent in identifying categories of "too thin," "balanced," and "too fat." The "balanced" category contained the lowest proportion of high-prestige university attendees and the highest average cultural consonance. The "too fat" category was characterized by the highest levels of body dissatisfaction and dieting, as well as proportion of probable eating disorders. DISCUSSION A cultural models approach identified culturally important factors and patterns in disordered eating among young South Korean men and may be effective for understanding eating disorders in other populations not typically studied. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE This study applies a systematic, "emic" perspective to young South Korean men's body ideals. Young Korean men share a cultural model of body fatness, and this model frames how they experience risk for eating disorders. This study demonstrates a method for incorporating culture into research on eating disorder risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence T Monocello
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Jason M Lavender
- Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Military Cardiovascular Outcomes Research (MiCOR) Program, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- The Metis Foundation, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Lauren A Fowler
- Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | | | - Denise E Wilfley
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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2
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Liebert MA, Urlacher SS, Madimenos FC, Gildner TE, Cepon-Robins TJ, Harrington CJ, Bribiescas RG, Sugiyama LS, Snodgrass JJ. Variation in diurnal cortisol patterns among the Indigenous Shuar of Amazonian Ecuador. Am J Hum Biol 2024:e24056. [PMID: 38517108 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and its primary end product, the glucocorticoid cortisol, are major components of the evolved human stress response. However, most studies have examined these systems among populations in high-income settings, which differ from the high pathogen and limited resource contexts in which the HPA axis functioned for most of human evolution. METHODS We investigated variability in diurnal salivary cortisol patterns among 298 Indigenous Shuar from Amazonian Ecuador (147 males, 151 females; age 2-86 years), focusing on the effects of age, biological sex, and body mass index (BMI) in shaping differences in diurnal cortisol production. Saliva samples were collected three times daily (waking, 30 minutes post-waking, evening) for three consecutive days to measure key cortisol parameters: levels at waking, the cortisol awakening response, the diurnal slope, and total daily output. RESULTS Age was positively associated with waking levels and total daily output, with Shuar juveniles and adolescents displaying significantly lower levels than adults (p < .05). Sex was not a significant predictor of cortisol levels (p > .05), as Shuar males and females displayed similar patterns of diurnal cortisol production across the life course. Moreover, age, sex, and BMI significantly interacted to moderate the rate of diurnal cortisol decline (p = .027). Overall, Shuar demonstrated relatively lower cortisol concentrations than high-income populations. CONCLUSIONS This study expands the documented range of global variation in HPA axis activity and diurnal cortisol production and provides important insights into the plasticity of human stress physiology across diverse developmental and socioecological settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A Liebert
- Department of Anthropology, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Samuel S Urlacher
- Department of Anthropology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
- Child and Brain Development Program, CIFAR, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Felicia C Madimenos
- Department of Anthropology, Queens College (CUNY), Flushing, New York, USA
- New York Consortium of Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), CUNY Graduate Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Theresa E Gildner
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Tara J Cepon-Robins
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Springs, Colorado, USA
| | | | | | | | - J Josh Snodgrass
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
- Center for Global Health, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
- Global Station for Indigenous Studies and Cultural Diversity, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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3
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Niclou A, Sarma MS. The now and future of human biology at the extremes: An introduction to the special issue. Am J Hum Biol 2024; 36:e24006. [PMID: 37885124 PMCID: PMC10939965 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES A hallmark of the human species is our adaptability to a wide range of different ecologies and ecosystems, including some of the most extreme settings. Human biologists have long studied how humans have successfully (and sometimes unsuccessfully) adapted to such extremes, particularly ecological extremes like environments at lower limits of temperature and high altitude. In this special issue, we revisit traditional definitions and explore new conceptions of work in extreme environments. We argue that our definitions of extremes should change with our changing world, and account for extremes unique to the Anthropocene, including environments of inequality and precarity, pandemic landscapes, climate-impacted settings, obesogenic environments, and the environments of human spaceflight. We also explore the future of work at the extremes and provide some suggested guidelines on how human biologists can continue to build and expand on foundational work in this area. CONCLUSION While human biologists have done critical work on groups living in extreme environments, our definitions of humans at the limits continue to change as the world around us also changes. Scholars in this area have a responsibility to re-examine the parameters of extremes to stay at the forefront of scientific exploration and collaboration so human biology, as a discipline, can continue to shape our understanding of adaptability, and thus contribute to the continued thriving of all humans as we endure new climatic, environmental, and societal extremes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Niclou
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Mallika S. Sarma
- Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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Sarma MS, Shelhamer M. The human biology of spaceflight. Am J Hum Biol 2024; 36:e24048. [PMID: 38337152 PMCID: PMC10940193 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
To expand the human exploration footprint and reach Mars in the 2030s, we must explore how humans survive and thrive in demanding, unusual, and novel ecologies (i.e., extreme environments). In the extreme conditions encountered during human spaceflight, there is a need to understand human functioning and response in a more rigorous theoretically informed way. Current models of human performance in space-relevant environments and human space science are often operationally focused, with emphasis on acute physiological or behavioral outcomes. However, integrating current perspectives in human biology allows for a more holistic and complete understanding of how humans function over a range of time in an extreme environment. Here, we show how the use of evolution-informed frameworks (i.e., models of life history theory to organize the adaptive pressures of spaceflight and biocultural perspectives) coupled with the use of mixed-methodological toolkits can shape models that better encompass the scope of biobehavioral human adjustment to long-duration space travel and extra-terrestrial habitation. Further, we discuss how we can marry human biology perspectives with the rigorous programmatic structures developed for spaceflight to model other unknown and nascent extremes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mallika S. Sarma
- Human Spaceflight Lab, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21215
| | - Mark Shelhamer
- Human Spaceflight Lab, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21215
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5
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McDade TW. Three common assumptions about inflammation, aging, and health that are probably wrong. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2317232120. [PMID: 38064531 PMCID: PMC10740363 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317232120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic inflammation contributes to the onset and progression of cardiovascular disease and other degenerative diseases of aging. But does it have to? This article considers the associations among inflammation, aging, and health through the lens of human population biology and suggests that chronic inflammation is not a normal nor inevitable component of aging. It is commonly assumed that conclusions drawn from research in affluent, industrialized countries can be applied globally; that aging processes leading to morbidity and mortality begin in middle age; and that inflammation is pathological. These foundational assumptions have shifted focus away from inflammation as a beneficial response to infection or injury and toward an understanding of inflammation as chronic, dysregulated, and dangerous. Findings from community-based studies around the world-many conducted in areas with relatively high burdens of infectious disease-challenge these assumptions by documenting substantial variation in levels of inflammation and patterns of association with disease. They also indicate that nutritional, microbial, and psychosocial environments in infancy and childhood play important roles in shaping inflammatory phenotypes and their contributions to diseases of aging. A comparative, developmental, and ecological approach has the potential to generate novel insights into the regulation of inflammation and how it relates to human health over the life course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W. McDade
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL60208
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL60208
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Cullin JM. Biological normalcy and body fat: Obesity prevalence, fat stigma, and allostatic load among late adolescents and young adults. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 37096804 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Biological normalcy provides a framework to assess tensions between clinical definitions of "normal," statistical norms, and normative beliefs. A prevailing cultural belief is obesity directly causes poor health, but research has demonstrated consequences of fat stigma. Previous research linked fat stigma and allostatic load (AL) in adults, but this has not been demonstrated in youth, and the role of obesity prevalence is unknown. This study assesses the relationship between fat stigma and AL among youth from counties varying by obesity prevalence. MATERIALS AND METHODS Undergraduates from 38 counties across the US state of Indiana (n = 175) were recruited. Fat stigma was measured using the brief stigmatizing situations inventory (SSI). AL was calculated using eight biomarkers representing cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune function. Poisson regression assessed relationships of interest and adjusted for potential confounding. An interaction term and stratified analyses were used to assess moderation. RESULTS SSI was not statistically associated with obesity prevalence (RR = 0.96, p = 0.173) but did statistically significantly predict AL (RR = 1.019, p = 0.045) when adjusting for confounders. Obesity prevalence moderated the relationship between SSI and AL (RR = 0.993, p = 0.001). DISCUSSION Results suggest that fat stigma, regardless of body fat percentage, is associated with physiologic wear and tear on the late adolescent body, and that exposure to obesity during earlier adolescence moderates this relationship. Those most at risk for high AL reported high fat stigma and lived in counties with relatively low obesity prevalence during earlier adolescence, suggesting vulnerability to fat stigma may be heightened where obesity is less common.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Cullin
- Department of Anthropology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
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7
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Gibb JK, Spake L, McKinnon L, Shattuck EC, McKerracher L. Sexual minority status is associated with earlier recalled age of menarche: Evidence from the 2005-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Am J Hum Biol 2023; 35:e23825. [PMID: 36301198 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Menarcheal timing is associated with growth, development, health, wellbeing, and reproduction across the lifespan. Although sexual orientation is a known correlate of health and developmental inequities, relatively little evolutionarily framed research has investigated sexual orientation-based variation in maturational timing. To improve our understanding of menarcheal timing among sexual minority (SM) people, we use a biocultural-evolutionary life history lens that takes into account the stresses of minoritization to examine the relationship between sexual orientation and self-reported age at menarche in a sample of American adults. METHODS Using the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a large, nationally representative dataset (n = 9757), we fit multiple logistic regression models and survival curves to evaluate associations between sexual orientation, indicators of somatic and material resources during adolescence (e.g., education, citizenship, upper arm length), and self-reported menarche. RESULTS SM respondents were more likely to report earlier (by 4-5 months) ages of menarche (p < .001). Post-hoc tests revealed that these differences were driven by bisexual (p < .001) and same-sex experienced (p < .001) relative to heterosexual and lesbian/gay respondents. Earlier menarcheal timing among SM respondents persisted after adjusting for socio-demographic factors and proxies of developmental conditions. DISCUSSION Our findings reveal that SM status is associated with earlier ages of menarche, an important social and reproductive milestone. We argue that uniting life history theory with the minority stress hypothesis better explains differences in menarcheal timing by sexual orientation than previous paradigms. Investigators should attend to sexual orientation-based variation in maturational timing using holistic, inclusive approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- James K Gibb
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.,Department of Health & Society, University of Toronto, Scarborough, Canada
| | - Laure Spake
- Religion Programme, and Centre for Research on Evolution, Belief, and Behaviour, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.,Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, USA
| | - Leela McKinnon
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Eric C Shattuck
- Department of Public Health, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA.,Institute for Health Disparities Research, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, USA
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8
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Devlin MJ, Eick GN, Snodgrass JJ. The utility of dried blood spot measurement of bone turnover markers in biological anthropology. Am J Hum Biol 2022; 34:e23816. [PMID: 36214251 PMCID: PMC9787861 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Bone is a dynamic organ under continual turnover influenced by life history stage, energy dynamics, diet, climate, and disease. Bone turnover data have enormous potential in biological anthropology for testing evolutionary and biocultural hypotheses, yet few studies have integrated these biomarkers. In the present article we systematically review the current availability, future viability, and applicability of measuring bone turnover markers (BTMs) in dried blood spot (DBS) samples obtained from finger prick whole blood. METHODS Our review considers clinical and public health relevance, biomarker stability in DBS, assay availability, and cost. We consider biomarkers of bone formation such as osteocalcin (bone matrix protein), PINP (N-terminal propeptide of type I collagen), and alkaline phosphatase (osteoblast enzyme), as well as biomarkers of bone resorption such as CTX (marker of collagen breakdown) and TRACP5b (tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b; osteoclast enzyme). RESULTS Two BTMs have been validated for DBS: osteocalcin (formation) and TRACP5b (resorption). Prime candidates for future development are CTX and PINP, the formation and resorption markers used for clinical monitoring of response to osteoporosis treatment. CONCLUSION BTMs are a field-friendly technique for longitudinal monitoring of skeletal biology during growth, reproduction and aging, combining minimized risk to study participants with maximized ease of sample storage and transport. This combination allows new insights into the effects of energy availability, disease, and physical activity level on bone, and questions about bone gain and loss across life history and in response to environmental factors; these issues are important in human biology, paleoanthropology, bioarchaeology, and forensic anthropology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen J. Devlin
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Geeta N. Eick
- Global Health Biomarker Laboratory, Department of AnthropologyUniversity of OregonEugeneOregonUSA
| | - J. Josh Snodgrass
- Global Health Biomarker Laboratory, Department of AnthropologyUniversity of OregonEugeneOregonUSA,Center for Global HealthUniversity of OregonEugeneOregonUSA,Invited Faculty, Global Station for Indigenous Studies & Cultural DiversityHokkaido UniversitySapparoHokkaidoJapan
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9
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Snodgrass JJ. Minimally invasive biomarkers in human population biology research, part 2: An introduction to the special issue. Am J Hum Biol 2022; 34:e23822. [PMID: 36256677 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past several decades, biomarkers have become indispensable tools in human biology, allowing researchers to investigate biocultural and evolutionary questions and to generate basic data on health and well-being. Human biologists are central players in biomarker methods development, pioneering the creation of "field friendly," minimally invasively collected biomarker approaches, as well as leading the innovative use of biomarkers, most notably to map the complex pathways from social and environmental conditions to altered physiology to health effects. This special issue, Part 2 of a collection focused on minimally invasively collected biomarkers, is comprised of nine papers that jointly contribute to driving the science of biomarker methods development and application. This compilation of papers engages with topics such as biological normalcy, ecoimmunology, and the ethics of working with vulnerable and underserved populations. It also focuses attention on research areas at present not emphasized in human biology such as bone turnover markers as a window onto osteoporosis and osteoarthritis and the use of cancer-related biomarkers in population screening and epidemiology. Taken together, these papers help draw the roadmap for future biomarker work, emphasizing: (1) the need for systematic and transparent approaches to assay validation, with open access publication; (2) simultaneous measurement of multiple biomarkers and expanded use of instrument platforms that increase the range of physiological, genomics, and omics markers available to researchers; and, (3) increased attention to ethics and researcher responsibilities, encouraging a mindset that recognizes our obligation to provide benefits to individuals and communities and to help redress past abuses.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Josh Snodgrass
- Global Health Biomarker Laboratory, Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA.,Center for Global Health, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA.,Global Station for Indigenous Studies and Cultural Diversity, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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10
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Madimenos FC, Gildner TE, Eick GN, Sugiyama LS, Snodgrass JJ. Bringing the lab bench to the field: Point-of-care testing for enhancing health research and stakeholder engagement in rural/remote, indigenous, and resource-limited contexts. Am J Hum Biol 2022; 34:e23808. [PMID: 36166487 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Point-of-care testing (POCT) allows researchers and health-care providers to bring the lab bench to the field, providing essential health information that can be leveraged to improve health care, accessibility, and understanding across clinical and research settings. Gaps in health service access are most pronounced in what we term RIR settings-rural/remote regions, involving Indigenous peoples, and/or within resource-limited settings. In these contexts, morbidity and mortality from infectious and non-communicable diseases are disproportionately higher due to numerous geographic, economic, political, and sociohistorical factors. Human biologists and global health scholars are well-positioned to contribute on-the-ground-level insights that can serve to minimize global health inequities and POCT has the potential to augment such approaches. While the clinical benefits of POCT include increasing health service access by bringing testing, rapid diagnosis, and treatment to underserved communities with limited pathways to centralized laboratory testing, POCT also provides added benefits to both health-focused researchers and their participants. Through portable, minimally invasive devices, researchers can provide actionable health data to participants by coupling POCT with population-specific health education, discussing results and their implications, creating space for participants to voice concerns, and facilitating linkages to treatment. POCT can also strengthen human biology research by shedding light on questions of evolutionary and biocultural importance. Here, we expand on the epidemiological and research value, as well as practical and ethical challenges of POCT across stakeholders (i.e., participant, community, health researcher, and trainee). Finally, we emphasize the immense opportunities of POCT for fostering collaborative research and enhancing access to health delivery and information and, by extension, helping to mitigate persistent global health inequities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicia C Madimenos
- Department of Anthropology, Queens College (CUNY), New York, USA.,New York Consortium of Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), CUNY Graduate Center, New York, USA
| | - Theresa E Gildner
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Geeta N Eick
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | | | - James J Snodgrass
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA.,Center for Global Health, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA.,Global Station for Indigenous Studies and Cultural Diversity, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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11
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Meloni M, Moll T, Issaka A, Kuzawa CW. A biosocial return to race? A cautionary view for the postgenomic era. Am J Hum Biol 2022; 34:e23742. [PMID: 35275433 PMCID: PMC9286859 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies demonstrating epigenetic and developmental sensitivity to early environments, as exemplified by fields like the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) and environmental epigenetics, are bringing new data and models to bear on debates about race, genetics, and society. Here, we first survey the historical prominence of models of environmental determinism in early formulations of racial thinking to illustrate how notions of direct environmental effects on bodies have been used to naturalize racial hierarchy and inequalities in the past. Next, we conduct a scoping review of postgenomic work in environmental epigenetics and DOHaD that looks at the role of race/ethnicity in human health (2000-2021). Although there is substantial heterogeneity in how race is conceptualized and interpreted across studies, we observe practices that may unwittingly encourage typological thinking, including: using DNA methylation as a novel marker of racial classification; neglect of variation and reversibility within supposedly homogenous racial groups; and a tendency to label and reify whole groups as pathologized or impaired. Even in the very different politico-economic and epistemic context of contemporary postgenomic science, these trends echo deeply held beliefs in Western thinking which claimed that different environments shape different bodies and then used this logic to argue for essential differences between Europeans and non-Europeans. We conclude with a series of suggestions on interpreting and reporting findings in these fields that we feel will help researchers harness this work to benefit disadvantaged groups while avoiding the inadvertent dissemination of new and old forms of stigma or prejudice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurizio Meloni
- Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and GlobalisationDeakin University, Geelong Waurn Ponds CampusWaurn PondsVictoriaAustralia
| | - Tessa Moll
- Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and GlobalisationDeakin University, Geelong Waurn Ponds CampusWaurn PondsVictoriaAustralia
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Ayuba Issaka
- School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of HealthDeakin University, Geelong Waurn Ponds CampusWaurn PondsVictoriaAustralia
| | - Christopher W. Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology and Institute for Policy ResearchNorthwestern UniversityEvanstonIllinoisUSA
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12
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Rioux C, Paré A, London-Nadeau K, Juster RP, Weedon S, Levasseur-Puhach S, Freeman M, Roos LE, Tomfohr-Madsen LM. Sex and gender terminology: a glossary for gender-inclusive epidemiology. J Epidemiol Community Health 2022; 76:jech-2022-219171. [PMID: 35725304 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2022-219171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
There is increased interest in inclusion, diversity and representativeness in epidemiological and community health research. Despite this progress, misunderstanding and conflation of sex and gender have precluded both the accurate description of sex and gender as sample demographics and their inclusion in scientific enquiry aiming to distinguish health disparities due to biological systems, gendered experiences or their social and environmental interactions. The present glossary aims to define and improve understanding of current sex-related and gender-related terminology as an important step to gender-inclusive epidemiological research. Effectively, a proper understanding of sex, gender and their subtleties as well as acknowledgement and inclusion of diverse gender identities and modalities can make epidemiology not only more equitable, but also more scientifically accurate and representative. In turn, this can improve public health efforts aimed at promoting the well-being of all communities and reducing health inequities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlie Rioux
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ash Paré
- School of Social Work, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Kira London-Nadeau
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Sainte-Justine Hospital Pediatric Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Robert-Paul Juster
- Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Montreal Mental Health University Institute Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre on Sex*Gender, Allostasis, and Resilience, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Scott Weedon
- Department of English, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | | | - Makayla Freeman
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Leslie E Roos
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Lianne M Tomfohr-Madsen
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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