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Chaudhari NN, Imms PE, Chowdhury NF, Gatz M, Trumble BC, Mack WJ, Law EM, Sutherland ML, Sutherland JD, Rowan CJ, Wann LS, Allam AH, Thompson RC, Michalik DE, Miyamoto M, Lombardi G, Cummings DK, Seabright E, Alami S, Garcia AR, Rodriguez DE, Gutierrez RQ, Copajira AJ, Hooper PL, Buetow KH, Stieglitz J, Gurven MD, Thomas GS, Kaplan HS, Finch CE, Irimia A. Increases in regional brain volume across two native South American male populations. GeroScience 2024:10.1007/s11357-024-01168-2. [PMID: 38683289 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-024-01168-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Industrialized environments, despite benefits such as higher levels of formal education and lower rates of infections, can also have pernicious impacts upon brain atrophy. Partly for this reason, comparing age-related brain volume trajectories between industrialized and non-industrialized populations can help to suggest lifestyle correlates of brain health. The Tsimane, indigenous to the Bolivian Amazon, derive their subsistence from foraging and horticulture and are physically active. The Moseten, a mixed-ethnicity farming population, are physically active but less than the Tsimane. Within both populations (N = 1024; age range = 46-83), we calculated regional brain volumes from computed tomography and compared their cross-sectional trends with age to those of UK Biobank (UKBB) participants (N = 19,973; same age range). Surprisingly among Tsimane and Moseten (T/M) males, some parietal and occipital structures mediating visuospatial abilities exhibit small but significant increases in regional volume with age. UKBB males exhibit a steeper negative trend of regional volume with age in frontal and temporal structures compared to T/M males. However, T/M females exhibit significantly steeper rates of brain volume decrease with age compared to UKBB females, particularly for some cerebro-cortical structures (e.g., left subparietal cortex). Across the three populations, observed trends exhibit no interhemispheric asymmetry. In conclusion, the age-related rate of regional brain volume change may differ by lifestyle and sex. The lack of brain volume reduction with age is not known to exist in other human population, highlighting the putative role of lifestyle in constraining regional brain atrophy and promoting elements of non-industrialized lifestyle like higher physical activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil N Chaudhari
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Phoebe E Imms
- Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nahian F Chowdhury
- Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Margaret Gatz
- Center for Economic and Social Research, Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin C Trumble
- Center for Evolution & Medicine, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Wendy J Mack
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - E Meng Law
- iBRAIN Research Laboratory, Departments of Neuroscience, Computer Systems and Electrical Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Radiology, The Alfred Health Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Christopher J Rowan
- Renown Institute for Heart and Vascular Health, Reno, NV, USA
- School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - L Samuel Wann
- Division of Cardiology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Adel H Allam
- Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Al Mikhaym Al Daem, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Randall C Thompson
- Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, University of Missouri, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - David E Michalik
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA, USA
- MemorialCare Miller Children's & Women's Hospital, Long Beach Medical Center, Long Beach, CA, USA
| | - Michael Miyamoto
- Division of Cardiology, Mission Heritage Medical Group, Providence Health, Mission Viejo, CA, USA
| | | | - Daniel K Cummings
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Economic Science Institute, Argyros School of Business and Economics, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Edmond Seabright
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Sarah Alami
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Angela R Garcia
- Center for Evolution & Medicine, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Daniel E Rodriguez
- Institute of Biomedical Research, San Simon University, Cochabamba, Bolivia
| | | | | | - Paul L Hooper
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Kenneth H Buetow
- Center for Evolution & Medicine, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Jonathan Stieglitz
- Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, Toulouse 1 Capitol University, Toulouse, France
| | - Michael D Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
| | - Gregory S Thomas
- MemorialCare Health Systems, Fountain Valley, CA, USA
- Division of Cardiology, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Hillard S Kaplan
- Economic Science Institute, Argyros School of Business and Economics, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Caleb E Finch
- Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Departments of Biological Sciences, Anthropology and Psychology, Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Andrei Irimia
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Leonard WR. Pearl Memorial Lecture. Humans at the extremes: Exploring human adaptation to ecological and social stressors. Am J Hum Biol 2024; 36:e24010. [PMID: 37974340 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The field of human biology has long explored how human populations have adapted to extreme environmental circumstances. Yet, it has become increasingly clear that conditions of social stress, poverty, and lifestyle change play equally important roles in shaping human biological variation and health. In this paper, I provide a brief background on the foundational human adaptability research of the International Biological Programme (IBP) from the 1960s, highlighting how its successes and critiques have shaped current research directions in the field. I then discuss and reflect on my own field research that has examined the influence of both environmental and social stresses on human populations living in different ecosystems: the Peruvian Andes, the Siberian arctic, and the Bolivian rainforest. Finally, I consider how the papers in this special issue advance our understanding of human adaptability to extreme conditions and offer directions for future research. Drawing on our field's distinctive evolutionary and biocultural perspectives, human biologists are uniquely positioned to examine how the interplay between social and ecological domains influences the human condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- William R Leonard
- Department of Anthropology & Program in Global Health Studies, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
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3
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Rosinger AY, Rosinger K, Barnhart K, Todd M, Hamilton T, Aries K, Nate D. When the flood passes, does health return? A short panel examining water and food insecurity, nutrition, and disease after an extreme flood in lowland Bolivia. Am J Hum Biol 2023; 35:e23806. [PMID: 36165503 PMCID: PMC10116996 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Flooding is the most frequent extreme-weather disaster and disproportionately burdens marginalized populations. This article examines how food and water insecurity, blood pressure (BP), nutritional status, and diarrheal and respiratory illnesses changed during the 2 months following a historic flood in lowland Bolivia. METHODS Drawing on longitudinal data from Tsimane' forager-horticulturalist (n = 118 household heads; n = 129 children) directly after a historic 2014 flood and ~2 months later, we use fixed effects linear regression and random effects logistic regression models to test changes in the markers of well-being and health over the recovery process. RESULTS Results demonstrated that water insecurity scores decreased significantly 2 month's postflood, while food insecurity scores remained high. Adults' systolic and diastolic BP significantly declined 2 months after the flood's conclusion. Adults experienced losses in measures of adiposity (BMI, sum of four skinfolds, waist circumference). Children gained weight and BMI-for-age Z-scores indicating buffering of children by adults from food stress that mainly occurred in the community closer to the main market town with greater access to food aid. Odds of diarrhea showed a nonsignificant decline, while cough increased significantly for both children and adults 2 months postflood. CONCLUSIONS Water insecurity and BP improved during the recovery process, while high levels of food insecurity persisted, and nutritional stress and respiratory illness worsened. Not all indicators of well-being and health recover at the same rate after historic flooding events. Planning for multiphase recovery is critical to improve health of marginalized populations after flooding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asher Y. Rosinger
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Kelly Rosinger
- Department of Education Policy Studies and School of Public Policy, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Kaitlyn Barnhart
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Maddie Todd
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Tate Hamilton
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | - Dino Nate
- The Community of La Cruz, Beni, Bolivia
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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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Paiva SG, Rivara AC, de Castro Nóbrega M, de Cesare Parmesan Toledo R, de Nazaré Klautau‐Guimarães M, Madrigal L, de Oliveira SF. Cardiovascular risk factors across different levels of urbanization in Brazilian Afro‐derived communities (
quilombos
). Am J Hum Biol 2022; 35:e23839. [PMID: 36426735 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The frequency of cardiovascular diseases has increased throughout the world. People of African descent have been disproportionately affected, particularly if they reside in urban settings. In this work, we evaluate risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and other chronic diseases in rural and urban Afro-derived communities (quilombo) in Central Brazil. We also determine if there are associations between the frequency of CVD risk factors, sex, and proximity to urban environments. METHODS Through a cross-sectional study of participants (n = 347) within three Brazilian Afro-derived communities: Kalunga (a semi-isolated rural community; n = 214), Cocalinho (a non-isolated rural village; n = 70), and Pé do Morro (an urban community; n = 63), we collected data regarding chronic disease (i.e., CVD, diabetes, and hypertension) risk through questionnaires, anthropometrics, blood pressure, and blood samples using standard protocols. Differences between variables were tested by the Chi-square test of Pearson and Fisher's Exact Test, independent sample t-tests, analysis of variances, and Kruskal-Wallis tests (p ≤ .05). RESULTS The prevalence of hypertension, overweight, obesity, and other cardiovascular risk factors were higher in the non-isolated rural and urban communities than in the semi-isolated rural community. We found significant sex differences in the distribution of the CVD risk factors, with all occurring at a higher frequency among females. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that Brazilian Afro-derived communities are currently going through an epidemiological transition. The urban lifestyle and its environmental factors are likely contributing to an escalation in cardio-metabolic disease risk. However, the magnitude of this transition differentially impacts the sexes, as females suffer a higher frequency of risk factors compared to males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Guimarães Paiva
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade de Brasília Brasília Distrito Federal Brazil
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Tocantins Araguaína Tocantins Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação (Mestrado) em Demandas Populares e Dinâmicas Regionais (PPGDire) Universidade Federal do Norte do Tocantins Araguaína Tocantins Brazil
| | - Anna C. Rivara
- Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
| | - Matheus de Castro Nóbrega
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade de Brasília Brasília Distrito Federal Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre Brazil
| | | | | | - Lorena Madrigal
- Department of Anthropology University of South Florida Tampa Florida USA
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6
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Singh PN. Editorial: The Impact of Dietary Changes on Non-communicable Diseases in Latin America. Front Nutr 2022; 9:890873. [PMID: 35495920 PMCID: PMC9043357 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.890873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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7
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Zonta ML, Servián A, Panisse G, Oyhenart EE, Navone GT. Nutritional status, intestinal parasitic infections, and socio-environmental conditions in Mbyá-guaraní children: The current situation in communities in central Misiones, Argentina. Am J Hum Biol 2022; 34:e23749. [PMID: 35388936 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Our previous research in Mbyá-guaraní communities of central Misiones showed high levels of growth stunting and intestinal parasites in children, as well as associations between these variables and deficient sanitary conditions. New studies were necessary to update the present health status of the previously studied Mbyá populations after around two decades. Therefore, we evaluated the current nutritional status, intestinal parasites, and socio-environmental conditions among Mbyá-guaraní children from these communities. METHODS Body weight and height of 102 individuals (aged 2-14) were measured and nutritional status was estimated according to the World Health Organization criteria. Serial fecal samples and anal swabs were analyzed from 75 children (aged 1-14). Socio-environmental data were obtained from questionnaires. RESULTS The prevalence of undernutrition was 31.4% and excess of weight was 10.8%. The prevalence of stunting and of overweight reached 30.4% and 8.8%, respectively. About 85% of the children were infected with at least one of the 14 species identified, and around 44% had multiple parasite infections. The most prevalent species were Enterobius vermicularis and hookworms. Among undernourished children, 88.2% were parasitized by at least one of the potentially pathogenic species detected. Most of the families lived in overcrowded conditions in precarious houses, defecated in latrines, and consumed well water. A higher risk of parasitosis was associated with the source of drinking water. CONCLUSIONS Although the prevalence of undernutrition and intestinal parasites decreased compared with our previous studies, we still observed the coexistence of stunting, excess weight, and parasitic infections, in a context of socio-environmental vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Lorena Zonta
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE-CONICET-UNLP), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Andrea Servián
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE-CONICET-UNLP), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Guillermo Panisse
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE-CONICET-UNLP), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Evelia E Oyhenart
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE-CONICET-UNLP), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Ontogenia y Adaptación (LINOA)- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo (FCNyM), Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Graciela T Navone
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE-CONICET-UNLP), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Bile Acids, Gut Microbes, and the Neighborhood Food Environment-a Potential Driver of Colorectal Cancer Health Disparities. mSystems 2022; 7:e0117421. [PMID: 35103491 PMCID: PMC8805634 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01174-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Bile acids (BAs) facilitate nutrient digestion and absorption and act as signaling molecules in a number of metabolic and inflammatory pathways. Expansion of the BA pool and increased exposure to microbial BA metabolites has been associated with increased colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. It is well established that diet influences systemic BA concentrations and microbial BA metabolism. Therefore, consumption of nutrients that reduce colonic exposure to BAs and microbial BA metabolites may be an effective method for reducing CRC risk, particularly in populations disproportionately burdened by CRC. Individuals who identify as Black/African American (AA/B) have the highest CRC incidence and death in the United States and are more likely to live in a food environment with an inequitable access to BA mitigating nutrients. Thus, this review discusses the current evidence supporting diet as a contributor to CRC disparities through BA-mediated mechanisms and relationships between these mechanisms and barriers to maintaining a low-risk diet.
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Bethancourt HJ, Ulrich MA, Almeida DM, Rosinger AY. Household Food Insecurity, Hair Cortisol, and Adiposity Among Tsimane' Hunter-Forager-Horticulturalists in Bolivia. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2021; 29:1046-1057. [PMID: 33864348 PMCID: PMC8711023 DOI: 10.1002/oby.23137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study examined how household food insecurity (HFI) and chronic stress relate to adiposity among Tsimane' hunter-forager-horticulturalists in remote Bolivia with limited access to energy-dense processed foods that promote weight gain among industrialized populations. METHODS Retrospective cross-sectional data on HFI (via the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale [HFIAS]), hair cortisol concentration (HCC), adiposity (BMI, body fat percentage [%BF]), and sociodemographics were collected from 171 men, 164 women, and 167 children. Linear mixed-effects models tested linear, quadratic, joint, and interactive relationships between adiposity measures and both the HFIAS score and HCC. RESULTS Among children, each 3-point HFIAS score increase was associated with a 0.44-point higher %BF (SE = 0.22, P = 0.04). However, each 20% increase in HCC was associated with a -0.29-point difference in %BF (SE = 0.12, P = 0.01). Among men, a slight curvilinear relationship emerged between HFIAS and BMI. HFIAS and HCC were unrelated to adiposity measures among women. HCC did not modify relationships between HFIAS and adiposity in any subgroup. CONCLUSIONS These findings from a remote, small-scale population suggest that positive associations between HFI and adiposity are not isolated to contexts of industrialized food environments and heavy reliance on processed foods. However, these dynamics and the role of stress appear to differ by sex and age group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary J Bethancourt
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Matthew A Ulrich
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - David M Almeida
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Asher Y Rosinger
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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10
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Tallman PS, Valdes-Velasquez A, Sanchez-Samaniego G. The "Double Burden of Malnutrition" in the Amazon: dietary change and drastic increases in obesity and anemia over 40 years among the Awajún. Ecol Food Nutr 2021; 61:20-42. [PMID: 33900136 DOI: 10.1080/03670244.2021.1916925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Undernutrition and overnutrition are interconnected. Yet few studies have examined the "double burden of malnutrition" (DBM) over time in indigenous communities. We investigated changes in the food systems and nutritional health of Awajún communities in the Peruvian Amazon in the 1970s and in 2013. Methods included ethnography, 24 hr food recalls, and biological measures. In 2013, the number of traditional foods consumed decreased to 10% of levels in the 1970s and the number of market foods consumed increased 40-fold. Rates of anemia and obesity were also substantially higher in 2013 compared to the 1970s (23% vs 6% for anemia and 30% vs. 0% for obesity) indicating a DBM has emerged. Examining the predictors of hemoglobin levels and body mass indices in the 2013 sample reveals that this DBM is differentially impacting women and that risk for obesity among the Awajún is associated with multiple proxies of market integration beyond just the consumption of market foods. These findings highlight the complex pathways by which rapid lifestyle changes are creating gendered health inequalities within indigenous communities over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula S Tallman
- Department of Anthropology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,The Field Museum of Natural History, Keller Science Action Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Armando Valdes-Velasquez
- Laboratory of EcoHealth & Urban Ecology, School of Sciences and Philosophy,Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Giuliana Sanchez-Samaniego
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
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Urlacher SS, Snodgrass JJ, Dugas LR, Madimenos FC, Sugiyama LS, Liebert MA, Joyce CJ, Terán E, Pontzer H. Childhood Daily Energy Expenditure Does Not Decrease with Market Integration and Is Not Related to Adiposity in Amazonia. J Nutr 2021; 151:695-704. [PMID: 33454748 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxaa361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood overweight and obesity (OW/OB) is increasingly centered in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as rural populations experience market integration and lifeway change. Most explanatory studies have relied on imprecise estimates of children's energy expenditure, restricting understanding of the relative effects of changes in diet and energy expenditure on the development of OW/OB in transitioning contexts. OBJECTIVES This study used gold-standard measurements of children's energy expenditure to investigate the changes that underlie OW/OB and the nutrition/epidemiologic transition. METHODS Cross-sectional data were collected from "rural" (n = 43) Shuar forager-horticulturalist children and their "peri-urban" (n = 34) Shuar counterparts (age 4-12 y) in Amazonian Ecuador. Doubly labeled water measurements of total energy expenditure (TEE; kcal/d), respirometry measurements of resting energy expenditure (REE; kcal/d), and measures of diet, physical activity, immune activity, and market integration were analyzed primarily using regression models. RESULTS Peri-urban children had higher body fat percentage (+8.1%, P < 0.001), greater consumption of market-acquired foods (multiple P < 0.001), lower concentrations of immune activity biomarkers (multiple P < 0.05), and lower REE (-108 kcal/d, P = 0.002) than rural children. Despite these differences, peri-urban children's TEE was indistinguishable from that of rural children (P = 0.499). Moreover, although sample-wide IgG concentrations and household incomes predicted REE (both P < 0.05), no examined household, immune activity, or physical activity measures were related to children's overall TEE (all P > 0.09). Diet and energy expenditure associations with adiposity demonstrate that only reported consumption of market-acquired "protein" and "carbohydrate" foods predicted children's body fat levels (multiple P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Despite underlying patterns in REE, Shuar children's TEE is not reliably related to market integration and-unlike dietary measures-does not predict adiposity. These findings suggest a leading role of changing dietary intake in transitions to OW/OB in LMICs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel S Urlacher
- Department of Anthropology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA.,Child and Brain Development Program, CIFAR, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - J Josh Snodgrass
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA.,Center for Global Health, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Lara R Dugas
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | | | - Melissa A Liebert
- Department of Anthropology, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Cara J Joyce
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Enrique Terán
- College of Health Sciences, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.,Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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Donders I, Barriocanal C. The Influence of Markets on the Nutrition Transition of Hunter-Gatherers: Lessons from the Western Amazon. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17176307. [PMID: 32872589 PMCID: PMC7504055 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17176307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
For many centuries, hunter-gatherer societies relied on subsistence practices and traditional diets. However, forces of globalization have increased market involvement, thereby fueling the nutrition transition of hunter-gatherer societies. We review the academic literature on market involvement of hunter-gatherer societies in the Western Amazon and its consequences on diet, health and well-being. First, we elaborate on four main determinants of market involvement (accessibility, monetary income, wild meat trade and social capital), showing how each determinant draws individuals toward or away from markets. Thereafter, we discuss how these determinants alter diet, health and well-being. Our results add to the understanding of the complex relations between market involvement, dietary change, health and well-being of indigenous societies. Furthermore, they bring to light that additional research is needed on the topic to support decision-makers and help preserve indigenous values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Donders
- Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Building Z, Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain;
- Correspondence:
| | - Carles Barriocanal
- Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Building Z, Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain;
- Department of Geography, University of Barcelona (UB), Montalegre 6, 08001 Barcelona, Spain
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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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Bethancourt HJ, Swanson ZS, Nzunza R, Huanca T, Conde E, Kenney WL, Young SL, Ndiema E, Braun D, Pontzer H, Rosinger AY. Hydration in relation to water insecurity, heat index, and lactation status in two small-scale populations in hot-humid and hot-arid environments. Am J Hum Biol 2020; 33:e23447. [PMID: 32583580 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study compared the prevalence of concentrated urine (urine specific gravity ≥1.021), an indicator of hypohydration, across Tsimane' hunter-forager-horticulturalists living in hot-humid lowland Bolivia and Daasanach agropastoralists living in hot-arid Northern Kenya. It tested the hypotheses that household water and food insecurity would be associated with higher odds of hypohydration. METHODS This study collected spot urine samples and corresponding weather data along with data on household water and food insecurity, demographics, and health characteristics among 266 Tsimane' households (N = 224 men, 235 women, 219 children) and 136 Daasanach households (N = 107 men, 120 women, 102 children). RESULTS The prevalence of hypohydration among Tsimane' men (50.0%) and women (54.0%) was substantially higher (P < .001) than for Daasanach men (15.9%) and women (17.5%); the prevalence of hypohydration among Tsimane' (37.0%) and Daasanach (31.4%) children was not significantly different (P = .33). Multiple logistic regression models suggested positive but not statistically significant trends between household water insecurity and odds of hypohydration within populations, yet some significant joint effects of water and food insecurity were observed. Heat index (2°C) was associated with a 23% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-1.40, P = .001), 34% (95% CI: 1.18-1.53, P < .0005), and 23% (95% CI: 1.04-1.44, P = .01) higher odds of hypohydration among Tsimane' men, women, and children, respectively, and a 48% (95% CI: 1.02-2.15, P = .04) increase in the odds among Daasanach women. Lactation status was also associated with hypohydration among Tsimane' women (odds ratio = 3.35, 95% CI: 1.62-6.95, P = .001). CONCLUSION These results suggest that heat stress and reproductive status may have a greater impact on hydration status than water insecurity across diverse ecological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary J Bethancourt
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Zane S Swanson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Tomas Huanca
- Centro Boliviano de Investigacion y Desarrollo Socio Integral (CBIDSI), San Borja, Bolivia
| | - Esther Conde
- Centro Boliviano de Investigacion y Desarrollo Socio Integral (CBIDSI), San Borja, Bolivia
| | - W Larry Kenney
- Department of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sera L Young
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Emmanuel Ndiema
- Department of Earth Sciences, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - David Braun
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Asher Y Rosinger
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, USA
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