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Cipora K, Gashaj V, Gridley AS, Soltanlou M, Nuerk HC. Cultural similarities and specificities of finger counting and montring: Evidence from Amazon Tsimane' people. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2023; 239:104009. [PMID: 37586227 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.104009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerical cognition might be embodied, that is, grounded in bodily actions. This claim is supported by the observation that, potentially due to our shared biology, finger counting is prevalent among a variety of cultures. Differences in finger counting are apparent even within Western cultures. Relatively few indigenous cultures have been systematically analyzed in terms of traditional finger counting and montring (i.e., communicating numbers with fingers) routines. Even fewer studies used the same protocols across cultures, allowing for a systematic comparison of indigenous and Western finger counting routines. We analyze the finger counting and montring routines of Tsimane' (N = 121), an indigenous people living in the Bolivian Amazon rainforest, depending on handedness, education level, and exposure to mainstream, industrialized Bolivian culture. Tsimane' routines are compared with those of German and British participants. Tsimane' reveal a greater variation in finger counting and montring routines, which seems to be modified by their education level. We outline a framework on how different factors such as handedness and reading direction might affect cross-cultural and within-cultural variation in finger counting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Cipora
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, UK; Department of Psychology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
| | - Venera Gashaj
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, UK; Department of Psychology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | | | - Mojtaba Soltanlou
- Department of Psychology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK; Department of Childhood Education, Faculty of Education, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Hans-Christoph Nuerk
- Department of Psychology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; LEAD Graduate School & Research Network, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
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2
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Starkweather KE, Keith MH, Zohora FT, Alam N. Economic impacts and nutritional outcomes of the 2017 floods in Bangladeshi Shodagor fishing families. Am J Hum Biol 2023; 35:e23826. [PMID: 36331095 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES As climate change continues to increase the frequency and severity of flooding in Bangladesh and globally, it becomes increasingly critical to understand the pathways through which flooding influences health outcomes, particularly in lower-income and subsistence-based communities. We aim to assess economic pathways that link flooding to nutritional outcomes among Shodagor fishing families in Bangladesh. METHODS We examine longitudinal economic data on kilograms of fish caught, the income earned from those fish, and household food expenditures (as a proxy for dietary intake) from before, during, and after severe flooding in August-September of 2017 to enumerate the impacts of flooding on Shodagor economics and nutrition. We also analyze seasonally collected anthropometric data to model the effects of flooding and household food expenditures on child growth rates and changes to adult body size. RESULTS While Shodagor fishing income declined during the 2017 flooding, food expenditures simultaneously spiked with market inflation, and rice became the predominant expenditure only during and immediately following the flood. Our nutritional models show that children and adults lost more body mass in households that spent more money on rice during the flood. Shodagor children lost an average of 0.36 BMI-for-age z-scores and adults lost an average of 0.32 BMI units during the flooded 2017 rainy season, and these metrics continued to decline across subsequent seasons and did not recover by the end of the study period in 2019. CONCLUSIONS These results show major flood-induced economic impacts that contributed to loss of child and adult body mass among Shodagor fishing families in Bangladesh. More frequent and severe flooding will exacerbate these nutritional insults, and more work is needed to effectively stabilize household nutrition throughout natural disasters and economic hardship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrine E Starkweather
- Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.,Department of Human Behavior, Ecology, and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Monica H Keith
- Department of Anthropology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Fatema Tuz Zohora
- Health Systems and Population Studies Division, ICDDR, B, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Nurul Alam
- Health Systems and Population Studies Division, ICDDR, B, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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3
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Swanson ZS, Nzunza R, Bethancourt HJ, Saunders J, Mutindwa F, Ndiema E, Braun DR, Rosinger AY, Pontzer H. Early childhood growth in Daasanach pastoralists of Northern Kenya: Distinct patterns of faltering in linear growth and weight gain. Am J Hum Biol 2022; 35:e23842. [PMID: 36463096 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Investigations of early childhood growth among small-scale populations are essential for understanding human life history variation and enhancing the ability to serve such communities through global public health initiatives. This study characterizes early childhood growth trajectories and identifies differences in growth patterns relative to international references among Daasanach semi-nomadic pastoralist children living in a hot, arid region of northern Kenya. METHODS A large sample of height and weight measures were collected from children (N = 1756; total observations = 4508; age = 0-5 years) between 2018 and 2020. Daasanach growth was compared to international reference standards and Daasanach-specific centile growth curves and pseudo-velocity models were generated using generalized additive models for location scale and size. RESULTS Compared to World Health Organization (WHO) reference, relatively few Daasanach children were stunted (14.3%), while a large proportion were underweight (38.5%) and wasted (53.6%). Additionally, Daasanach children had a distinctive pattern of growth, marked by an increase in linear growth velocity after 24 months of age and relatively high linear growth velocity throughout the rest of early childhood. CONCLUSIONS These results identify a unique pattern of early childhood growth faltering among children in a small-scale population and may reflect a thermoregulatory adaptation to their hot, arid environment. As linear growth and weight gain remain important indicators of health, the results of this study provide insight into growth velocity variations. This study has important implications for global public health efforts to identify and address sources of early growth faltering and undernutrition in small-scale populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zane S. Swanson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology Duke University Durham North Carolina USA
| | - Rosemary Nzunza
- Centre for Virus Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Nairobi Kenya
| | - Hilary J. Bethancourt
- Department of Anthropology Northwestern University Evanston Illinois USA
- Institute for Research Policy Northwestern University Evanston Illinois USA
| | - Jessica Saunders
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology Duke University Durham North Carolina USA
| | | | - Emmanuel Ndiema
- Department of Earth Sciences National Museums of Kenya Nairobi Kenya
| | - David R. Braun
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology The George Washington University Washington District of Columbia USA
- Department of Human Evolution Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology Leipzig Germany
| | - Asher Y. Rosinger
- Department of Anthropology Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania USA
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology Duke University Durham North Carolina USA
- Global Health Institute Duke University Durham North Carolina USA
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4
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Areekal SA, Goel P, Khadilkar A, Khadilkar V, Cole TJ. Assessment of height growth in Indian children using growth centiles and growth curves. Ann Hum Biol 2022; 49:228-235. [PMID: 36112429 DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2022.2107238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Growth centiles and growth curves are two ways to present child anthropometry; however, they differ in the type of data used, the method of analysis, the biological parameters fitted and the form of interpretation. AIM To fit and compare height growth centiles and curves in Indian children. SUBJECTS AND METHODS 1468 children (796 boys) from Pune India aged 6-18 years with longitudinal data on age and height (n = 7781) were analysed using GAMLSS (Generalised Additive Models for Location Scale and Shape) for growth centiles, and SITAR (SuperImposition by Rotation and Translation) for growth curves. RESULTS SITAR explained 98.7% and 98.8% of the height variance in boys and girls, with mean age at peak height velocity 13.1 and 11.0 years, and mean peak velocity 9.0 and 8.0 cm/year, respectively. GAMLSS (Box-Cox Cole Green model) also captured the pubertal growth spurt but the centiles were shallower than the SITAR mean curve. Boys showed a mid-growth spurt at age 8 years. CONCLUSION GAMLSS displays the distribution of height in the population by age and sex, while SITAR effectively and parsimoniously summarises the pattern of height growth in individual children. The two approaches provide distinct, useful information about child growth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pranay Goel
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | | | - Vaman Khadilkar
- Hirabai Cowasji Jehangir Medical Research Institute, Pune, India
| | - Tim J Cole
- Population, Policy and Practice Department, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
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Martin MA, Gurven M. Traditional and biomedical maternal and neonatal care practices in a rural Indigenous population of the Bolivian Amazon. Glob Public Health 2022; 17:971-985. [PMID: 33573491 PMCID: PMC9810376 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2021.1882531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, Bolivia has expanded maternal and child health insurance coverage to improve access to prenatal and early life health care. Nationally, however, maternal and child health disparities persist along a rural-urban divide. Research is needed among rural populations to better understand local barriers to health care access and usage. Particularly among Indigenous populations, disparities may be compounded by differences in preferences for and access to traditional versus biomedical health care. We examined prenatal care and birth practices among Tsimane forager-farmers of El Beni, Bolivia. From 2012-2013, we interviewed 151 Tsimane mothers (0-35 months postpartum) from nine villages about birth and neonatal care practices, prenatal care, and pharmaceutical usage during labour and postpartum recovery. Results demonstrate local disparities in biomedical care usage by ease of access (e.g. proximity to market town, Spanish fluency), and maternal experience (e.g. parity and prior offspring death or miscarriage). While 59% of interviewed mothers had received at least one prenatal screening, services performed in screenings were limited. Nearly all women continue to birth at home with family assistance. Inconsistent access to health care services may be exacerbated by regional, generational, and educational disparities within the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie A. Martin
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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Gómez-Campos R, Vidal-Espinoza R, Marques de Moraes A, Lázari E, Andruske CL, Castelli Correia de Campos L, Urzua-Alul L, Cossio-Bolaños W, Cossio-Bolanõs MA. Comparison of Anthropometric Indicators That Assess Nutritional Status From Infancy to Old Age and Proposal of Percentiles for a Regional Sample of Chile. Front Nutr 2021; 8:657491. [PMID: 35004795 PMCID: PMC8740328 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.657491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: Anthropometric variables are used to evaluate health, dietary status, disease risks, and changes in body composition. The purpose of this study was to compare weight, height, and Body Mass Index (BMI) with American references from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS-2012), using BMI and Tri-Ponderal Mass Index (TMI) to propose percentiles for evaluating nutritional status of children, adolescents, and adults, ages 5-80 years old. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 15,436 (8,070 males and 7,366 females) children, youths and adults in the Maule region (Chile). The age range ranged from 5.0 to ~80 years of age. Weight and height were assessed. Body mass index BMI and tri-ponderal mass index (TMI) were calculated. The LMS method was used to generate percentiles. Results: The results illustrated that children were heavier and had more BMI during childhood compared to the NCHS references. During adolescence, reference values were greater until approximately ages 70-79. For height, children were relatively similar to those of the NCHS references, but during adolescence, differences became evident. Adolescence until approximately age 80, the population showed lower values for height. Percentiles were calculated using BMI and TMI by age range and sex. Differences occurred between the American NCHS references and the population with regard to the anthropometric variables of weight, height, and in BMI. Conclusion: Discrepancies with the American NCHS reference were verified in the anthropometric variables of weight, height and BMI. Reference percentiles of BMI and TMI were developed for the evaluation of the nutritional status of the regional population of Maule (Chile). Its use is suggested in clinical and epidemiological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossana Gómez-Campos
- Departamento de Diversidad e Inclusividad Educativa, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Luis Urzua-Alul
- Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomás, Viña del Mar, Chile
| | | | - Marco A. Cossio-Bolanõs
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Actividad Física, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
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Abstract
We discuss approaches to the study of the evolution of music (sect. R1); challenges to each of the two theories of the origins of music presented in the companion target articles (sect. R2); future directions for testing them (sect. R3); and priorities for better understanding the nature of music (sect. R4).
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel A Mehr
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138, , https://, https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/epl
- Data Science Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington6012, New Zealand
| | - Max M Krasnow
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138, , https://, https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/epl
| | - Gregory A Bryant
- Department of Communication, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA90095, , http://gabryant.bol.ucla.edu
- Center for Behavior, Evolution, and Culture, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA90095, USA
| | - Edward H Hagen
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA98686, USA. , https://anthro.vancouver.wsu.edu/people/hagen
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8
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Physical growth of children and adolescents living at a moderate altitude: proposed percentiles based on age and sex. NUTR HOSP 2021; 38:1238-1247. [PMID: 34530621 DOI: 10.20960/nh.03722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION physical growth patterns and nutritional status of children and adolescents living at moderate altitude are not applicable for clinical assessment of growth for diverse populations around the world. OBJECTIVE a) to compare weight, height and body mass index (BMI) variables with CDC-2012 references; b) to verify if BMI and/or ponderal index (PI) are applicable to children living at moderate altitude; and c) to propose percentiles to assess physical growth by age and sex. METHODS a total of 5,377 students, ranging in age from 6.0 to 17.9 years, were evaluated. The students were from two geographic regions of moderate altitude in Peru (2,320 meters) and Colombia (2,640 meters). Weight and height were measured. BMI and PI were calculated. Weight, height and BMI were compared with CDC-2012 references. RESULTS males showed lower weight and height from age 11 to 17.9 years compared to CDC-2012. Females weighed less than the reference from 9.0 to 17.9 years. Female height was lower from 6.0 to 14.9 years; however, from 15.0 to 17.9 years, values were similar to the reference. As for BMI, there were differences in both sexes (in males, from 15.0 to 17.9 years, and in females, from 12.0 to 17.9 years). Age, weight and height explained BMI: between R2 = 17 and 83 % in males, and in females between R2 = 24 and 85 %. These same variables influenced PI in a lower percentage in both sexes: for males (R2 = 0.01 to 49 %) and for females (R2 = 0.01 to 18 %). CONCLUSIONS children and adolescents living at moderate altitude in Peru and Colombia diverge from the CDC-2012 physical growth patterns. In addition, PI is a new alternative for estimating weight in relation to BMI. The proposed curves for weight, height, and PI by age and sex could have greater implications in the control of child health programs and in clinical and epidemiological practices.
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Starkweather KE, Keith MH, Prall SP, Alam N, Zohora F, Emery Thompson M. Are fathers a good substitute for mothers? Paternal care and growth rates in Shodagor children. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22148. [PMID: 34087947 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Biparental care is a hallmark of human social organization, though paternal investment varies between and within societies. The facultative nature of paternal care in humans suggests males should invest when their care improves child survival and/or quality, though testing this prediction can be challenging because of the difficulties of empirically isolating paternal effects from those of other caregivers. Additionally, the broader context in which care is provided, vis-à-vis care from mothers and others, may lead to different child outcomes. Here, we examine the effects of paternal care on child growth among Shodagor fisher-traders, where fathers provide high levels of both additive and substitutive care, relative to mothers. We modeled seasonal z-scores and velocities for height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) outcomes using linear mixed models. Our evidence indicates that, as predicted, the context of paternal care is an important predictor of child outcomes. Results show that environmental seasonality and alloparental help contribute to a nuanced understanding of the impact of Shodagor paternal care on child physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- K E Starkweather
- Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.,Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico.,Department of Human Behavior, Ecology, and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - M H Keith
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - S P Prall
- Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - N Alam
- Health Systems and Population Studies Division, ICDDR,B, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - F Zohora
- Health Systems and Population Studies Division, ICDDR,B, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - M Emery Thompson
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Jaeggi AV, Blackwell AD, von Rueden C, Trumble BC, Stieglitz J, Garcia AR, Kraft TS, Beheim BA, Hooper PL, Kaplan H, Gurven M. Do wealth and inequality associate with health in a small-scale subsistence society? eLife 2021; 10:59437. [PMID: 33988506 PMCID: PMC8225390 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In high-income countries, one’s relative socio-economic position and economic inequality may affect health and well-being, arguably via psychosocial stress. We tested this in a small-scale subsistence society, the Tsimane, by associating relative household wealth (n = 871) and community-level wealth inequality (n = 40, Gini = 0.15–0.53) with a range of psychological variables, stressors, and health outcomes (depressive symptoms [n = 670], social conflicts [n = 401], non-social problems [n = 398], social support [n = 399], cortisol [n = 811], body mass index [n = 9,926], blood pressure [n = 3,195], self-rated health [n = 2523], morbidities [n = 1542]) controlling for community-average wealth, age, sex, household size, community size, and distance to markets. Wealthier people largely had better outcomes while inequality associated with more respiratory disease, a leading cause of mortality. Greater inequality and lower wealth were associated with higher blood pressure. Psychosocial factors did not mediate wealth-health associations. Thus, relative socio-economic position and inequality may affect health across diverse societies, though this is likely exacerbated in high-income countries. Poverty is bad for health. People living in poverty are more likely to struggle to afford nutritious food, lack access to health care, or be overworked or stressed. This may make them susceptible to chronic diseases, contribute to faster aging, and shorten their lifespans. In high-income countries, there is growing evidence to suggest that a person’s ‘rank’ in society also impacts their health. For example, individuals who have a lower position in the social hierarchy report worse health outcomes, regardless of their incomes. But it is unclear why living in an unequal society or having a lower social status contributes to poorer health. One possibility is that inequalities in society are creating a stressful environment that leads to worse physical and mental outcomes. It is thought that this stress largely comes from how humans evolved to prioritize reaching a higher social status over having a long and healthy life. If this is the case, this would mean that the link between social status and health would also be present in non-industrialized communities where social hierarchies tend to be less pronounced. To test this, Jaeggi, Blackwell et al. studied the Indigenous Tsimane population in Bolivia who live in small communities and forage and farm their own food. The income and relative wealth of 870 households from 40 Tsimane communities were compared against various outcomes, including symptoms associated with depression, stress hormone levels, blood pressure, self-rated health and several diseases. Jaeggi, Blackwell et al. found poverty and inequality did not negatively impact all of the health outcomes measured as has been previously reported for industrialized societies. However, blood pressure was higher among people with lower incomes or those who lived in more unequal communities. But because the Tsimane people generally have low blood pressure, the differences were too small to have much effect on their health. People who lived in more unequal communities were also three times more likely to have respiratory infections, but the reason for this was unclear. This shows that social determinants such as a person’s wealth or inequality can affect health, even in communities with less rigid social hierarchies. In industrial societies the effect may be worse in part because they are compounded by lifestyle factors, such as diets rich in fat and sugar, and physical inactivity which can also increase blood pressure. This information may help policy makers reduce health disparities by addressing some of the social determinants of health and the lifestyle factors that cause them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian V Jaeggi
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, United States
| | - Aaron D Blackwell
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pulman, United States
| | | | - Benjamin C Trumble
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, United States.,Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, United States
| | | | - Angela R Garcia
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, United States.,School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, United States.,Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, United States
| | - Thomas S Kraft
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, United States
| | - Bret A Beheim
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Paul L Hooper
- Economic Science Institute, Chapman University, Irvine, United States.,Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, United States
| | - Hillard Kaplan
- Economic Science Institute, Chapman University, Irvine, United States
| | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, United States
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Bauchet J, Undurraga EA, Zycherman A, Behrman JR, Leonard WR, Godoy RA. The effect of gender targeting of food transfers on child nutritional status: Experimental evidence from the Bolivian Amazon. JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT EFFECTIVENESS 2021; 13:276-291. [PMID: 34868461 PMCID: PMC8635451 DOI: 10.1080/19439342.2021.1924833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Some research suggests women are more likely to allocate additional resources to their children than are men. This perception has influenced policies such as in-kind food transfer programs and cash transfer programs, which often target women recipients. We assess whether targeting in-kind rice transfers to female versus male adult household members has a differential impact on children's short-run nutritional status. We estimate the impacts of transfers of edible rice and rice seeds, randomly allocated to female or male adults, on three anthropometric indicators: BMI-for-age, arm-muscle area, and triceps skinfold thickness. The trial includes 481 children aged 3-11 years in a horticultural-foraging society of native Amazonians in Bolivia. On average, the gender of the transfer recipient does not influence child anthropometric dimensions, possibly due to norms of cooperation and sharing within and between households. We find limited evidence of heterogeneity in impacts. Transfers to women help children who were growth stunted at baseline to partially catch-up to their better-nourished age-sex peers and help boys (but not girls) and children in higher-income households increase their BMI-for-age. The results of this research point to the importance of considering cultural context in determining if allocating food transfers according to gender are most effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Bauchet
- Division of Consumer Science and Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, 812 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Eduardo A. Undurraga
- Escuela de Gobierno, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago, RM 7820436, Chile
| | - Ariela Zycherman
- Climate Program Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1315 East-West Hwy, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, USA
| | - Jere R. Behrman
- Department of Economics, Sociology, and Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, 133 South 36 Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6297, USA
| | - William R. Leonard
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, 1810 Hinman Avenue, Evanston, Ill 60208-1310, USA
| | - Ricardo A. Godoy
- Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, MS035, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, USA
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12
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Garcia AR, Blackwell AD, Trumble BC, Stieglitz J, Kaplan H, Gurven MD. Evidence for height and immune function trade-offs among preadolescents in a high pathogen population. Evol Med Public Health 2020; 2020:86-99. [PMID: 32983534 PMCID: PMC7502263 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoaa017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In an energy-limited environment, caloric investments in one characteristic should trade-off with investments in other characteristics. In high pathogen ecologies, biasing energy allocation towards immune function over growth would be predicted, given strong selective pressures against early-life mortality. METHODOLOGY In the present study, we use flow cytometry to examine trade-offs between adaptive immune function (T cell subsets, B cells), innate immune function (natural killer cells), adaptive to innate ratio and height-for-age z scores (HAZ) among young children (N = 344; aged 2 months-8 years) in the Bolivian Amazon, using maternal BMI and child weight-for-height z scores (WHZ) as proxies for energetic status. RESULTS Markers of adaptive immune function negatively associate with child HAZ, a pattern most significant in preadolescents (3+ years). In children under three, maternal BMI appears to buffer immune and HAZ associations, while child energetic status (WHZ) moderates relationships in an unexpected direction: HAZ and immune associations are greater in preadolescents with higher WHZ. Children with low WHZ maintain similar levels of adaptive immune function, but are shorter compared to high WHZ peers. CONCLUSIONS Reduced investment in growth in favor of immunity may be necessary for survival in high pathogen contexts, even under energetic constraints. Further, genetic and environmental factors are important considerations for understanding variation in height within this population. These findings prompt consideration of whether there may be a threshold of investment into adaptive immunity required for survival in high pathogen environments, and thus question the universal relevance of height as a marker of health. LAY SUMMARY Adaptive immune function is negatively associated with child height in this high pathogen environment. Further, low weight-for-height children are shorter but maintain similar immune levels. Findings question the relevance of height as a universal health marker, given that costs and benefits of height versus immunity may be calibrated to local ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela R Garcia
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, 427 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Aaron D Blackwell
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99163, USA
| | - Benjamin C Trumble
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, 427 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, 900 Cady Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Jonathan Stieglitz
- Université Toulouse 1 Capitole, espanade de l’Université 21, Allée de Brienne, Toulouse Cedex 06 31080, France
- Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, espanade de l’Université 21, Allée de Brienne, Toulouse Cedex 06 31080, France
| | - Hillard Kaplan
- Economic Science Institute, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866, USA
| | - Michael D Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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13
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Nyati LH, Pettifor JM, Ong KK, Norris SA. Adolescent growth and BMI and their associations with early childhood growth in an urban South African cohort. Am J Hum Biol 2020; 33:e23469. [PMID: 32808697 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The timing and magnitude of adolescent growth may be influenced by ethnicity and early life factors. We aimed to (a) characterize ethnic differences in the magnitude, timing, and intensity of adolescent growth in height, weight, and BMI; (b) assess the effect of early childhood growth on adolescent growth in black children. METHODS Data were from the Birth to Twenty Plus cohort (Bt20+) in Johannesburg, South Africa (n = 3273). Height, weight, and BMI were modeled with ethnic comparisons using the SuperImposition by Translation and Rotation for 2089 participants who had data from 7 to 23 years. Relative weight gain and relative linear growth between 0 and 24 months and 24 and 60 months were generated. Multiple regression analyses were used to assess associations between childhood and adolescent growth. RESULTS White children were 5 cm (SE: 0.7) taller than black children through adolescence. Black boys had a later timing of adolescent height (0.65 years ±0.12) than white boys, which in black girls was 0.24 years (0.11) earlier than in white girls. Black girls had faster BMI velocity than white girls. Among black children, birth weight and both relative weight gain 0 to 24 and relative linear growth between 3 and 24 months and 24 and 60 months were positively associated with the magnitude of adolescent growth and negatively associated with timing. CONCLUSION Sex dimorphism in ethnic differences in timing of adolescent height growth may reflect some yet unexplained drivers for rapid weight gain and obesity in black females but not black males. Rapid weight gain in early life may contribute to faster adiposity accrual in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukhanyo H Nyati
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - John M Pettifor
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Ken K Ong
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,MRC Epidemiology Unit and Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK
| | - Shane A Norris
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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14
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Boeyer ME, Middleton KM, Duren DL, Leary EV. Estimating peak height velocity in individuals: a comparison of statistical methods. Ann Hum Biol 2020; 47:434-445. [PMID: 32543236 PMCID: PMC7590904 DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2020.1763458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Estimates pertaining to the timing of the adolescent growth spurt (e.g. peak height velocity; PHV), including age at peak height velocity (aPHV), play a critical role in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of skeletal growth and/or developmental disorders. Yet, distinct statistical methodologies often result in large estimate discrepancies. AIM The aim of the present study was to assess the advantages and disadvantages of three modelling methodologies for height as well as to determine how estimates derived from these methodologies may differ, particularly those that may be useful in paediatric clinical practice. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Height data from 686 individuals of the Fels Longitudinal Study were modelled using 5th order polynomials, natural cubic splines, and SuperImposition by Translation and Rotation (SITAR) to determine aPHV and PHV for all individuals together (i.e. population average) by sex and separately for each individual. Estimates within and between methodologies were calculated and compared. RESULTS In general, mean aPHV was earlier, and PHV was greater for individuals when compared to estimates from population average models. Significant differences between mean aPHV and PHV for individuals were observed in all three methodologies, with SITAR exhibiting the latest aPHV and largest PHV estimates. CONCLUSION Each statistical methodology has a number of advantages when used for specific purposes. For modelling growth in individuals, as one would in paediatric clinical practice, we recommend the use of the 5th order polynomial methodology due to its parameter flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie E. Boeyer
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Missouri Orthopaedic Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Thompson Laboratory for Regenerative Orthopaedics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Kevin M. Middleton
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Dana L. Duren
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Missouri Orthopaedic Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Thompson Laboratory for Regenerative Orthopaedics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Emily V. Leary
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Missouri Orthopaedic Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Thompson Laboratory for Regenerative Orthopaedics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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15
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Sprockett DD, Martin M, Costello EK, Burns AR, Holmes SP, Gurven MD, Relman DA. Microbiota assembly, structure, and dynamics among Tsimane horticulturalists of the Bolivian Amazon. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3772. [PMID: 32728114 PMCID: PMC7391733 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17541-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Selective and neutral forces shape human microbiota assembly in early life. The Tsimane are an indigenous Bolivian population with infant care-associated behaviors predicted to increase mother-infant microbial dispersal. Here, we characterize microbial community assembly in 47 infant-mother pairs from six Tsimane villages, using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of longitudinal stool and tongue swab samples. We find that infant consumption of dairy products, vegetables, and chicha (a fermented drink inoculated with oral microbes) is associated with stool microbiota composition. In stool and tongue samples, microbes shared between mothers and infants are more abundant than non-shared microbes. Using a neutral model of community assembly, we find that neutral processes alone explain the prevalence of 79% of infant-colonizing microbes, but explain microbial prevalence less well in adults from river villages with more regular access to markets. Our results underscore the importance of neutral forces during microbiota assembly. Changing lifestyle factors may alter traditional modes of microbiota assembly by decreasing the role of neutral processes. Selective and neutral forces shape human microbiota assembly in early life. Here, Sprockett et al. study microbial community assembly in 47 infant-mother pairs from the Tsimane, an indigenous Bolivian population, highlighting the importance of neutral forces during microbiota assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel D Sprockett
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Melanie Martin
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.,Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Elizabeth K Costello
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Adam R Burns
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Susan P Holmes
- Department of Statistics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Michael D Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.,Broom Center for Demography, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - David A Relman
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. .,Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. .,Infectious Diseases Section, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA.
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16
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Hové C, Trumble BC, Anderson AS, Stieglitz J, Kaplan H, Gurven MD, Blackwell AD. Immune function during pregnancy varies between ecologically distinct populations. Evol Med Public Health 2020; 2020:114-128. [PMID: 32983537 PMCID: PMC7502269 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoaa022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Among placental mammals, females undergo immunological shifts during pregnancy to accommodate the fetus (i.e. fetal tolerance). Fetal tolerance has primarily been characterized within post-industrial populations experiencing evolutionarily novel conditions (e.g. reduced pathogen exposure), which may shape maternal response to fetal antigens. This study investigates how ecological conditions affect maternal immune status during pregnancy by comparing the direction and magnitude of immunological changes associated with each trimester among the Tsimane (a subsistence population subjected to high pathogen load) and women in the USA. METHODOLOGY Data from the Tsimane Health and Life History Project (N = 935) and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (N = 1395) were used to estimate population-specific effects of trimester on differential leukocyte count and C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of systemic inflammation. RESULTS In both populations, pregnancy was associated with increased neutrophil prevalence, reduced lymphocyte and eosinophil count and elevated CRP. Compared to their US counterparts, pregnant Tsimane women exhibited elevated lymphocyte and eosinophil counts, fewer neutrophils and monocytes and lower CRP. Total leukocyte count remained high and unchanged among pregnant Tsimane women while pregnant US women exhibited substantially elevated counts, resulting in overlapping leukocyte prevalence among all third-trimester individuals. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Our findings indicate that ecological conditions shape non-pregnant immune baselines and the magnitude of immunological shifts during pregnancy via developmental constraints and current trade-offs. Future research should investigate how such flexibility impacts maternal health and disease susceptibility, particularly the degree to which chronic pathogen exposure might dampen inflammatory response to fetal antigens. LAY SUMMARY This study compares immunological changes associated with pregnancy between the Tsimane (an Amazonian subsistence population) and individuals in the USA. Results suggest that while pregnancy enhances non-specific defenses and dampens both antigen-specific immunity and parasite/allergy response, ecological conditions strongly influence immune baselines and the magnitude of shifts during gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Hové
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Benjamin C Trumble
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Amy S Anderson
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | | | - Hillard Kaplan
- Economic Science Institute, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA
| | - Michael D Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Aaron D Blackwell
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
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17
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Alami S, von Rueden C, Seabright E, Kraft TS, Blackwell AD, Stieglitz J, Kaplan H, Gurven M. Mother's social status is associated with child health in a horticulturalist population. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20192783. [PMID: 32156217 PMCID: PMC7126073 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
High social status is often associated with greater mating opportunities and fertility for men, but do women also obtain fitness benefits of high status? Greater resource access and child survivorship may be principal pathways through which social status increases women's fitness. Here, we examine whether peer-rankings of women's social status (indicated by political influence, project leadership, and respect) positively covaries with child nutritional status and health in a community of Amazonian horticulturalists. We find that maternal political influence is associated with improved child health outcomes in models adjusting for maternal age, parental height and weight, level of schooling, household income, family size, and number of kin in the community. Children of politically influential women have higher weight-for-age (B = 0.33; 95% CI = 0.12-0.54), height-for-age (B = 0.32; 95% CI = 0.10-0.54), and weight-for-height (B = 0.24; 95% CI = 0.04-0.44), and they are less likely to be diagnosed with common illnesses (OR = 0.48; 95% CI = 0.31-0.76). These results are consistent with women leveraging their social status to enhance reproductive success through improvements in child health. We discuss these results in light of parental investment theory and the implications for the evolution of female social status in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Alami
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | | | - Edmond Seabright
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Thomas S. Kraft
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Aaron D. Blackwell
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99163, USA
| | | | - Hillard Kaplan
- Economic Science Institute, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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18
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Dinkel KA, Costa ME, Kraft TS, Stieglitz J, Cummings DK, Gurven M, Kaplan H, Trumble BC. Relationship of sanitation, water boiling, and mosquito nets to health biomarkers in a rural subsistence population. Am J Hum Biol 2020; 32:e23356. [PMID: 31821682 PMCID: PMC8018599 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Throughout human evolutionary history, parasites and pathogens were a major cause of mortality-modern urban life with public health infrastructure has changed disease exposure. We examine associations between boiling water, using latrines, mosquito net usage, and biomarkers among the Tsimane, a nonindustrial subsistence population with little public health infrastructure. METHODS We conducted cross sectional surveys on water, latrines, and bed nets among 507 heads of households (aged 18-92 years, median age 41 years). Regression models estimated associations between behaviors and health biomarkers (ie, white blood cell count [WBC], hemoglobin, eosinophil count, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate) adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, wealth, schooling, and distance to the nearby market town. RESULTS Latrine use is associated with 6.5% lower WBC count (β = -679.6, P = .031, SE = 314.1), 17.4% lower eosinophil counts (β = -244.7, P = .023, SE = 107.2), and reduced odds of eosinophilia (adjusted OR = 0.40, P < .019, 95% CI = 0.18-0.86). Boiling water and mosquito net use are not significantly associated with any biomarkers measured. CONCLUSIONS In a subsistence population currently undergoing epidemiological transition, we find that latrine use was associated with several objective measures of health. This suggests that relatively low cost and low maintenance public health interventions may wish to focus on latrine use, as there is unmet need and potential health benefits for those who use latrines. Additionally, while the cost is higher, public health organizations aimed at improving sanitation may be able to use minimally invasive field-collected biomarkers as a diagnostic to objectively test the efficacy of interventions with greater specificity than anthropometric measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn A. Dinkel
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Megan E. Costa
- Sanford School of Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Thomas S. Kraft
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, California, Santa Barbara
| | | | - Daniel K. Cummings
- Department of Health Economics and Anthropology, Economic Science Institute, Argyros School of Business and Economics, Chapman University, Orange, California
| | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, California, Santa Barbara
| | - Hillard Kaplan
- Department of Health Economics and Anthropology, Economic Science Institute, Argyros School of Business and Economics, Chapman University, Orange, California
| | - Benjamin C. Trumble
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona,Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
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19
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Trumble BC, Finch CE. THE EXPOSOME IN HUMAN EVOLUTION: FROM DUST TO DIESEL. THE QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2019; 94:333-394. [PMID: 32269391 PMCID: PMC7141577 DOI: 10.1086/706768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Global exposures to air pollution and cigarette smoke are novel in human evolutionary history and are associated with about 16 million premature deaths per year. We investigate the history of the human exposome for relationships between novel environmental toxins and genetic changes during human evolution in six phases. Phase I: With increased walking on savannas, early human ancestors inhaled crustal dust, fecal aerosols, and spores; carrion scavenging introduced new infectious pathogens. Phase II: Domestic fire exposed early Homo to novel toxins from smoke and cooking. Phases III and IV: Neolithic to preindustrial Homo sapiens incurred infectious pathogens from domestic animals and dense communities with limited sanitation. Phase V: Industrialization introduced novel toxins from fossil fuels, industrial chemicals, and tobacco at the same time infectious pathogens were diminishing. Thereby, pathogen-driven causes of mortality were replaced by chronic diseases driven by sterile inflammogens, exogenous and endogenous. Phase VI: Considers future health during global warming with increased air pollution and infections. We hypothesize that adaptation to some ancient toxins persists in genetic variations associated with inflammation and longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Trumble
- School of Human Evolution & Social Change and Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona 85287 USA
| | - Caleb E Finch
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and Dornsife College, University of Southern California Los Angeles, California 90089-0191 USA
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20
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Madimenos FC, Liebert MA, Cepon‐Robins TJ, Urlacher SS, Josh Snodgrass J, Sugiyama LS, Stieglitz J. Disparities in bone density across contemporary Amazonian forager‐horticulturalists: Cross‐population comparison of the Tsimane and Shuar. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 171:50-64. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Felicia C. Madimenos
- Department of Anthropology Queens College (CUNY) Flushing New York
- New York Consortium on Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP) New York New York
| | - Melissa A. Liebert
- Department of Anthropology Northern Arizona University Flagstaff Arizona
| | | | | | | | - Lawrence S. Sugiyama
- Department of Anthropology University of Oregon Eugene
- Institute of Cognitive and Decision Sciences University of Oregon Eugene Oregon
| | - Jonathan Stieglitz
- Université Toulouse 1 Capitole Toulouse France
- Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse Toulouse France
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21
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Silva AB, Andrade Filha IGD, Benevides KMM, Silva DMD, Rodrigues PMDA, Silva SC, Garzón MIC. Cultura dos povos originários da floresta amazônica na gestação e no puerpério: uma revisão de escopo sob o ponto de vista da segurança alimentar e nutricional. SAÚDE EM DEBATE 2019. [DOI: 10.1590/0103-1104201912319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
RESUMO A desnutrição na população indígena é um problema de saúde pública atual e uma das principais causas de morbimortalidade das crianças desses grupos no Brasil. Para subsidiar ações de promoção da educação alimentar e nutricional, abrangendo povos da floresta do estado do Amazonas, Brasil, cujo território faz fronteira com a Colômbia, além da visita de campo em 2018, fez-se necessário, concomitantemente, mapear na literatura como essa população vive e de que maneira o cuidado é prestado. A revisão de escopo buscou tópicos referentes ao modo de vida das mulheres e crianças na Amazônia, à dieta durante o período gestacional e do puerpério, a práticas de aleitamento, à introdução de alimentos sólidos ao bebê e aos cuidados dos serviços de saúde. Como resultado, foram recuperados 21 estudos multidisciplinares. Encontrou-se que a comida tradicional tem valor nutricional maior do que a industrializada, a culinária local é uma fonte de renda das mulheres indígenas no meio urbano e um elo entre etnias. Conclui-se que as pesquisas devem incorporar o paradigma da promoção da saúde e abranger temas como a aculturação indígena nos centros urbanos amazônicos, a chegada da internet nas aldeias e o papel do cuidado à distância, que necessitam ser investigados para melhor enfrentamento do problema.
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22
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Keith MH, Blomquist GE, Flinn MV. Anthropometric heritability and child growth in a Caribbean village: A quantitative genetic analysis of longitudinal height, weight, and body mass index in Bwa Mawego, Dominica. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 170:393-403. [PMID: 31460671 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Body size and composition vary widely among individuals and populations, and long-term research in diverse contexts informs our understanding of genetic, cultural, and environmental impacts on this variation. We analyze longitudinal measures of height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) from a Caribbean village, estimating the extent to which these anthropometrics are shaped by genetic variance in a small-scale population of mixed ancestry. MATERIALS AND METHODS Longitudinal data from a traditionally horticultural village in Dominica document height and weight in a non-Western population that is transitioning to increasingly Westernized lifestyles, and an 11-generation pedigree enables us to estimate the proportions of phenotypic variation in height, weight, and BMI attributed to genetic variation. We assess within-individual variation across growth curves as well as heritabilities of these traits for 260 individuals using Bayesian variance component estimation. RESULTS Age, sex, and secular trends account for the majority of anthropometric variation in these longitudinal data. Independent of age, sex, and secular trends, our analyses show high repeatabilities for the remaining variation in height, weight, and BMI growth curves (>0.75), and moderate heritabilities (h2 height = 0.68, h2 weight = 0.64, h2 BMI = 0.49) reveal clear genetic signals that account for large proportions of the variation in body size observed between families. Secular trends show increases of 6.5% in height and 16.0% in weight from 1997 to 2017. DISCUSSION This horticultural Caribbean population has transitioned to include more Westernized foods and technologies over the decades captured in this analysis. BMI varies widely between individuals and is significantly shaped by genetic variation, warranting future exploration with other physiological correlates and associated genetic variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica H Keith
- Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | | | - Mark V Flinn
- Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
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23
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Hodges-Simeon CR, Asif S, Gurven M, Blackwell AD, Gaulin SJC. Testosterone is positively and estradiol negatively associated with mucosal immunity in Amazonian adolescents. Am J Hum Biol 2019; 31:e23284. [PMID: 31273877 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES A core assumption of life history theory and the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis (ICHH) is that testosterone (T) upregulates energetic investment in mating effort at the expense of immunity. This tenet, along with observed positive relationships between estrogens and immunity, may contribute to the higher observed morbidity and mortality of males. In the present study, we examine the association between sex steroid hormones and mucosal immunity as well as sex differences in immunity in a rural Amazonian population of immune-challenged Bolivian adolescents. METHODS Salivary steroid hormones (T [males only] and estradiol [E2 , females only]), Tsimane-specific age-standardized BMI z-scores, and salivary mucosal immunity (sIgA, secretory IgA) were measured in 89 adolescent males and females. RESULTS Males had significantly higher sIgA levels than females, which may be due to the observed immune-endocrine associations found in the present study. Controlling for age and phenotypic condition, higher T significantly predicted higher sIgA; whereas higher E2 was associated with lower sIgA in females. CONCLUSIONS Results stood in contrast to common interpretations of the ICHH, that is, that T should be inversely associated with immunity. Findings from the present study support the notion that the endocrine system likely affects immunity in a regulatory fashion, upregulating certain aspects of immunity while downregulating others. An important remaining question is the adaptive reason(s) for sex differences in endocrine-mediated immuno-redistribution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Soubhana Asif
- Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Aaron D Blackwell
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California.,Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Pullman, Washington
| | - Steven J C Gaulin
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California
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Martin M, Blackwell A, Kaplan H, Gurven M. Differences in Tsimane children's growth outcomes and associated determinants as estimated by WHO standards vs. within-population references. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214965. [PMID: 30995260 PMCID: PMC6469771 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropometric measures are commonly converted to age stratified z-scores to examine variation in growth outcomes in mixed-age and sex samples. For many study populations, z-scores will differ if calculated from World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards or within-population references. The specific growth reference used may influence statistical estimates of growth outcomes and their determinants, with implications for biological inference. We examined factors associated with growth outcomes in a sample of 152 Tsimane children aged 0-36 months. The Tsimane are a subsistence-scale population in the Bolivian Amazon with high rates of infectious disease and growth faltering. To examine the influence of growth reference on statistical inferences, we constructed multiple plausible models from available infant, maternal, and household attributes. We then ran identical models for height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-age (WAZ), and weight-for-height (WHZ), with z-scores alternately calculated from WHO and robust Tsimane Lambda-Mu-Sigma growth curves. The distribution of WHO relative to Tsimane HAZ scores was negatively skewed, reflecting age-related increases in lower HAZ. Standardized coefficients and significance levels generally agreed across WHO and Tsimane models, although the strength and significance of specific terms varied in some models. Age was strongly, negatively associated with HAZ and WAZ in nearly all WHO, but not Tsimane models, resulting in consistently higher R2 estimates. Age and weaning effects were confounded in WHO models. Biased estimates of determinants associated with WHO HAZ may be more extreme in small samples and for variables that are strongly age-patterned. Additional methodological considerations may be warranted when applying WHO standards to within-population studies, particularly for populations with growth patterns known to systematically deviate from those of the WHO reference sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Martin
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America
| | - Aaron Blackwell
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America
| | - Hillard Kaplan
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
| | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America
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Veile A, Valeggia C, Kramer KL. Cesarean birth and the growth of Yucatec Maya and Toba/Qom children. Am J Hum Biol 2019; 31:e23228. [PMID: 30815932 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cesarean delivery is often epidemiologically associated with childhood obesity. However, little attention is paid to post-birth modulatory environments, and most studies are conducted in settings where obesity arises for a number of reasons in addition to birth mode. We therefore assess population differences in the relationship between birth mode and childhood growth using data from rural and peri-urban Latin American indigenous populations, and test predictions developed using life history theory. METHODS Child height and weight were measured monthly in 80 Yucatec Maya and 58 Toba/Qom children aged 1-48 months (2007-2014, 3812 observations). Random-effects linear mixed models were used to compare children's growth by population, sex, and birth mode, accounting for potential confounders. RESULTS Cesarean delivery rates were 47% (Toba/Qom) and 20% (Yucatec Maya). Childhood obesity and overweight rates were low in both populations. Cesarean-delivered children had significantly greater weight gain (but similar height grain) compared to vaginally-delivered children. By age 4, cesarean delivered Yucatec Maya girls and boys, and Toba/Qom boys (not girls), had significantly higher weight-for-age compared to vaginally-delivered children from their own sex and population. CONCLUSIONS This provides one of the first attempts to document differences in children's growth patterns according to mode of birth in modernizing indigenous populations. Cesarean delivery is associated with young children's growth patterns, even in the absence of many obesity-inducing factors. There are also population, age, and sex differences in the relationship between birth mode and childhood weight trajectories that warrant future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Veile
- Department of Anthropology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Claudia Valeggia
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Karen L Kramer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
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26
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Martin MA, Veile AJ, Valeggia CR. Birth mode and infectious morbidity risks in Qom children of Argentina. Am J Hum Biol 2019; 31:e23200. [PMID: 30565345 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Cesarean delivery may increase childhood infectious morbidity risks via altered birth exposures and subsequent immune, microbial, and epigenetic development. Many Latin American indigenous populations experience dual burdens of infectious and chronic diseases, and are particularly vulnerable to rising rates of cesarean delivery and associated adverse outcomes. The Qom/Toba are an indigenous population in Argentina experiencing rapid lifestyle transitions. We hypothesized that cesarean delivery would be associated with increased risk of infectious symptoms in Qom children after adjusting for gestational and nutritional factors. METHODS We conducted a secondary analysis of birth records and monthly anthropometric and illness data collected previously from 90 Qom children (aged 1-55 months). We tested for additive effects of birth mode on risk of gastrointestinal (GI) and respiratory illness (RI) in mixed-effects logistic regression models adjusting for child weight-for-age (WAZ), weaning, and gestational and maternal age. RESULTS Cesarean deliveries accounted for 46% of births and were associated with maternal age < 20 and ≥ 30 years, gestational age < 39 weeks, and prenatal complications. GI and RI risks were reduced in association with cesarean delivery, greater WAZ, weaning, maternal age ≥ 30 years, and gestational age < 39 weeks. CONCLUSIONS The relationship between cesarean delivery and reduced infectious risks may reflect statistical confounding with relatively rapid postnatal growth and greater adiposity. Postnatal growth trajectories may be important mediators of long-term morbidity risks associated with cesarean delivery. The frequency of cesarean deliveries among the Qom remains concerning given traditionally high rates of fertility and adolescent pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie A Martin
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.,Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Amanda J Veile
- Department of Anthropology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
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27
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Veile A, Faria AA, Rivera S, Tuller SM, Kramer KL. Birth mode, breastfeeding and childhood infectious morbidity in the Yucatec Maya. Am J Hum Biol 2019; 31:e23218. [PMID: 30702176 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Cesarean delivery is linked to breastfeeding complications and child morbidity. These outcomes may disproportionately affect Latin American indigenous populations that are experiencing rising cesarean delivery rates, but often inhabit environments that exacerbate postnatal morbidity risks. We therefore assess relationships between birth mode, infant feeding practices, and childhood infectious morbidity in a modernizing Yucatec Maya community, where prolonged breastfeeding is the norm. We predicted that under these conditions, cesarean delivery would increase risk of childhood infectious morbidity, but prolonged breastfeeding postcesarean would mitigate morbidity risk. METHODS Using a longitudinal child health dataset (n = 88 children aged 0-60 months, 24% cesarean-delivered, 2290 observations total), we compare gastrointestinal infectious (GI) and respiratory infectious (RI) morbidity rates by birth mode. We model associations between cesarean delivery and breastfeeding duration, formula feeding and child nutritional status, then model GI and RI as a function of birth mode, child age, and feeding practices. RESULTS Cesarean delivery was associated with longer breastfeeding durations and higher child weight-for-age, but not with formula feeding, GI, or RI. Adolescent motherhood and RI were risk factors for GI; formula feeding and GI were risk factors for RI. Regional housing materials protected against GI; breastfeeding protected against RI and mitigated the effect of formula feeding. CONCLUSIONS We find no direct link between birth mode and child infectious morbidity. Yucatec Maya mothers practice prolonged breastfeeding, especially postcesarean, and in conjunction with formula feeding. This practice protects against childhood RI, but not GI, perhaps because GI is more susceptible to maternal and household factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Veile
- Department of Anthropology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Amy A Faria
- Department of Consumer Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Sydney Rivera
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Sydney M Tuller
- Department of Anthropology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Karen L Kramer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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28
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Influence of Maternal Fish Intake on the Anthropometric Indices of Children in the Western Amazon. Nutrients 2018; 10:nu10091146. [PMID: 30142890 PMCID: PMC6164537 DOI: 10.3390/nu10091146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2018] [Revised: 08/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied trends in fish intake among pregnant women living in the Madeira River Basin in Rondônia State, Brazil, to investigate the influence of maternal fish intake on anthropometric indices of children followed up to 5 years. Maternal fish intake was assessed using hair mercury concentrations of mothers and children at delivery and 6, 24, and 59 months. Data analysis was performed using a linear mixed-effect model. Mothers were predominantly young, had low incomes and limited schooling, and breastfed for >6 months. Only 1.9% of children had low birth weight. Anthropometric indices in approximately 80% of the study population showed Z-score values ranging from ≥-2 to ≤1. The influence of maternal fish intake on anthropometric indices, including height-to-age (H/A), weight-to-age (W/A), and weight-to-height (W/H) were not statistically significant after model adjustments. However, higher income and larger birth weight had a positive influence on H/A and W/A, whereas W/H gain was favored by higher maternal educational status and breastfeeding duration. Other variables (hemoglobin concentration and maternal age) had a positive significant influence on anthropometric indices. Maternal fish intake (or its attendant MeHg exposure) did not affect children growth. Nevertheless, it is advisable to avoid mercury-contaminated fish during pregnancy and childhood.
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Martin MA, Valeggia C. Timing of pubertal growth and menarche in indigenous Qom girls of Argentina. Ann Hum Biol 2018; 45:321-329. [PMID: 30033762 DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2018.1486455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pubertal timing is in part mediated by environmental factors, with greater energy availability often associated with earlier or more rapid development. Many indigenous populations are undergoing socioeconomic change that may affect pubertal development and related health risks, necessitating fundamental longitudinal research on growth and development in these populations. AIM Growth velocity and time to menarche among peri-urban indigenous Qom (Toba) girls in Argentina are described. SUBJECTS AND METHODS From 2011-2015, monthly anthropometrics and menstrual status were collected from 61 Qom girls aged 7-14. Growth velocity curves were generated using the 'Super-imposition by translation and rotation' (SITAR) method. Median time to menarche was estimated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. RESULTS Mean ages at peak height, weight and BMI velocity were estimated at 10.8, 10.5 and 10.7 years and median age at menarche at 11.6 years (95% CI = 11.4-11.9). At menarche, 45% of girls were overweight or obese and only one participant was short-statured by international standards. CONCLUSION Qom participants in this study exhibit relatively fast pubertal development as compared to other Latin American indigenous populations studied previously by others. Genetic and environmental factors influencing body size, diet and/or activity levels should be investigated further in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie A Martin
- a Department of Anthropology , Yale University , New Haven , CT , USA
| | - Claudia Valeggia
- a Department of Anthropology , Yale University , New Haven , CT , USA.,b Department of Anthropology , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , PA , USA
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30
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Tradeoffs between immune function and childhood growth among Amazonian forager-horticulturalists. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E3914-E3921. [PMID: 29632170 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1717522115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune function is an energetically costly physiological activity that potentially diverts calories away from less immediately essential life tasks. Among developing organisms, the allocation of energy toward immune function may lead to tradeoffs with physical growth, particularly in high-pathogen, low-resource environments. The present study tests this hypothesis across diverse timeframes, branches of immunity, and conditions of energy availability among humans. Using a prospective mixed-longitudinal design, we collected anthropometric and blood immune biomarker data from 261 Amazonian forager-horticulturalist Shuar children (age 4-11 y old). This strategy provided baseline measures of participant stature, s.c. body fat, and humoral and cell-mediated immune activity as well as subsample longitudinal measures of linear growth (1 wk, 3 mo, 20 mo) and acute inflammation. Multilevel analyses demonstrate consistent negative effects of immune function on growth, with children experiencing up to 49% growth reduction during periods of mildly elevated immune activity. The direct energetic nature of these relationships is indicated by (i) the manifestation of biomarker-specific negative immune effects only when examining growth over timeframes capturing active competition for energetic resources, (ii) the exaggerated impact of particularly costly inflammation on growth, and (iii) the ability of children with greater levels of body fat (i.e., energy reserves) to completely avoid the growth-inhibiting effects of acute inflammation. These findings provide evidence for immunologically and temporally diverse body fat-dependent tradeoffs between immune function and growth during childhood. We discuss the implications of this work for understanding human developmental energetics and the biological mechanisms regulating variation in human ontogeny, life history, and health.
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31
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Starkweather KE, Keith MH. Estimating impacts of the nuclear family and heritability of nutritional outcomes in a boat-dwelling community. Am J Hum Biol 2018; 30:e23105. [DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2017] [Revised: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 01/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Monica H. Keith
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Leipzig 04103 Germany
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32
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Spencer PR, Sanders KA, Judge DS. Growth curves and the international standard: How children's growth reflects challenging conditions in rural Timor-Leste. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 165:286-298. [PMID: 29076525 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Population-specific growth references are important in understanding local growth variation, especially in developing countries where child growth is poor and the need for effective health interventions is high. In this article, we use mixed longitudinal data to calculate the first growth curves for rural East Timorese children to identify where, during development, deviation from the international standards occurs. MATERIALS AND METHODS Over an eight-year period, 1,245 children from two ecologically distinct rural areas of Timor-Leste were measured a total of 4,904 times. We compared growth to the World Health Organization (WHO) standards using z-scores, and modeled height and weight velocity using the SuperImposition by Translation And Rotation (SITAR) method. Using the Generalized Additive Model for Location, Scale and Shape (GAMLSS) method, we created the first growth curves for rural Timorese children for height, weight and body mass index (BMI). RESULTS Relative to the WHO standards, children show early-life growth faltering, and stunting throughout childhood and adolescence. The median height and weight for this population tracks below the WHO fifth centile. Males have poorer growth than females in both z-BMI (p = .001) and z-height-for-age (p = .018) and, unlike females, continue to grow into adulthood. DISCUSSION This is the most comprehensive investigation to date of rural Timorese children's growth, and the growth curves created may potentially be used to identify future secular trends in growth as the country develops. We show significant deviation from the international standard that becomes most pronounced at adolescence, similar to the growth of other Asian populations. Males and females show different growth responses to challenging conditions in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe R Spencer
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Western Australia
| | - Katherine A Sanders
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Western Australia
| | - Debra S Judge
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Western Australia
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Said-Mohamed R, Pettifor JM, Norris SA. Life History theory hypotheses on child growth: Potential implications for short and long-term child growth, development and health. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 165:4-19. [PMID: 29072305 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Life history theory integrates ecological, physiological, and molecular layers within an evolutionary framework to understand organisms' strategies to optimize survival and reproduction. Two life history hypotheses and their implications for child growth, development, and health (illustrated in the South African context) are reviewed here. One hypothesis suggests that there is an energy trade-off between linear growth and brain growth. Undernutrition in infancy and childhood may trigger adaptive physiological mechanisms prioritizing the brain at the expense of body growth. Another hypothesis is that the period from conception to infancy is a critical window of developmental plasticity of linear growth, the duration of which may vary between and within populations. The transition from infancy to childhood may mark the end of a critical window of opportunity for improving child growth. Both hypotheses emphasize the developmental plasticity of linear growth and the potential determinants of growth variability (including the role of parent-offspring conflict in maternal resources allocation). Implications of these hypotheses in populations with high burdens of undernutrition and infections are discussed. In South Africa, HIV/AIDS during pregnancy (associated with adverse birth outcomes, short duration of breastfeeding, and social consequences) may lead to a shortened window of developmental plasticity of growth. Furthermore, undernutrition and infectious diseases in children living in South Africa, a country undergoing a rapid nutrition transition, may have adverse consequences on individuals' cognitive abilities and risks of cardio-metabolic diseases. Studies are needed to identify physiological mechanisms underlying energy allocation between biological functions and their potential impacts on health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rihlat Said-Mohamed
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Gauteng 2193, South Africa
| | - John M Pettifor
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Gauteng 2193, South Africa
| | - Shane A Norris
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Gauteng 2193, South Africa
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Hodges‐Simeon CR, Prall SP, Blackwell AD, Gurven M, Gaulin SJ. Adrenal maturation, nutritional status, and mucosal immunity in Bolivian youth. Am J Hum Biol 2017; 29. [DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Revised: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sean P. Prall
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of CaliforniaLos Angeles California90095
| | - Aaron D. Blackwell
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of CaliforniaSanta Barbara California93106
| | - Michael Gurven
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of CaliforniaSanta Barbara California93106
| | - Steven J.C. Gaulin
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of CaliforniaSanta Barbara California93106
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35
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Gurven M, Stieglitz J, Trumble B, Blackwell AD, Beheim B, Davis H, Hooper P, Kaplan H. The Tsimane Health and Life History Project: Integrating anthropology and biomedicine. Evol Anthropol 2017; 26:54-73. [PMID: 28429567 PMCID: PMC5421261 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The Tsimane Health and Life History Project, an integrated bio-behavioral study of the human life course, is designed to test competing hypotheses of human life-history evolution. One aim is to understand the bidirectional connections between life history and social behavior in a high-fertility, kin-based context lacking amenities of modern urban life (e.g. sanitation, banks, electricity). Another aim is to understand how a high pathogen burden influences health and well-being during development and adulthood. A third aim addresses how modernization shapes human life histories and sociality. Here we outline the project's goals, history, and main findings since its inception in 2002. We reflect on the implications of current findings and highlight the need for more coordinated ethnographic and biomedical study of contemporary nonindustrial populations to address broad questions that can situate evolutionary anthropology in a key position within the social and life sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Gurven
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of California‐Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara CA
| | | | - Benjamin Trumble
- Center for Evolution and Medicine; School of Human Evolution and Social ChangeArizona State UniversityTempeAZ
| | - Aaron D. Blackwell
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of California‐Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara CA
| | - Bret Beheim
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and CultureMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
| | - Helen Davis
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of UtahSalt Lake CityUT
| | | | - Hillard Kaplan
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of New MexicoAlbuquerqueNM
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36
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Stieglitz J, Trumble BC, Kaplan H, Gurven M. Horticultural activity predicts later localized limb status in a contemporary pre-industrial population. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 163:425-436. [PMID: 28345788 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Revised: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Modern humans may have gracile skeletons due to low physical activity levels and mechanical loading. Tests using pre-historic skeletons are limited by the inability to assess behavior directly, while modern industrialized societies possess few socio-ecological features typical of human evolutionary history. Among Tsimane forager-horticulturalists, we test whether greater activity levels and, thus, increased loading earlier in life are associated with greater later-life bone status and diminished age-related bone loss. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used quantitative ultrasonography to assess radial and tibial status among adults aged 20+ years (mean ± SD age = 49 ± 15; 52% female). We conducted systematic behavioral observations to assess earlier-life activity patterns (mean time lag between behavioural observation and ultrasound = 12 years). For a subset of participants, physical activity was again measured later in life, via accelerometry, to determine whether earlier-life time use is associated with later-life activity levels. Anthropometric and demographic data were collected during medical exams. RESULTS Structural decline with age is reduced for the tibia (female: -0.25 SDs/decade; male: 0.05 SDs/decade) versus radius (female: -0.56 SDs/decade; male: -0.20 SDs/decade), which is expected if greater loading mitigates bone loss. Time allocation to horticulture, but not hunting, positively predicts later-life radial status (βHorticulture = 0.48, p = 0.01), whereas tibial status is not significantly predicted by subsistence or sedentary leisure participation. DISCUSSION Patterns of activity- and age-related change in bone status indicate localized osteogenic responses to loading, and are generally consistent with the logic of bone functional adaptation. Nonmechanical factors related to subsistence lifestyle moderate the association between activity patterns and bone structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Stieglitz
- Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, Université de Toulouse, France.,Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Benjamin C Trumble
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona.,School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Hillard Kaplan
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California
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