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Čvorović J. Paternal investment, stepfather presence and early child development and growth among Serbian Roma. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2022; 4:e15. [PMID: 37588911 PMCID: PMC10426004 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2022.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on paternal investment and child growth and development is limited outside of high-income countries. Using nationally representative data from low-resource Serbian Roma communities, this study examined father investment (direct care), its predictors and the associations between paternal investment, stepfather presence and child physical growth and early development. The sample included 1222 children aged 35-59 months, out of which 235 were living with biological fathers. Child outcomes included height-for-age Z-scores, stunting and early child developmental score. Roma paternal investment was relatively low. There was a positive association of father investment and children's height, and no association with developmental score. The presence of father vs. stepfather did not exert any influence on children. Instead, maternal and child characteristics explained both the overall development and height for Roma children. Thus, older children, born to literate, lower parity mothers of higher status and greater investment had better developmental and growth outcomes; girls were the preferred sex, owing to expected fitness benefits. Reverse causality emerged as the most likely pathway through which the cross-sectional association of father direct care with child growth may manifest, such that Roma fathers tend to bias their investment towards taller, more endowed children, because of greater fitness pay-off.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Čvorović
- Institute of Ethnography, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Kneza Mihaila 36, Belgrade, Serbia
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Čvorović J, Vojinović Ž. The effect of social assistance on kin relationships: evidence from Roma communities. BIODEMOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL BIOLOGY 2020; 65:16-30. [PMID: 32065538 DOI: 10.1080/19485565.2019.1681256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This paper discusses the effects of social assistance on kinship relationships in Roma, a disadvantaged European minority population, and how variation in kin support affects self-reported health and reproductive success. Data were collected in 2016-7 in several rural Roma settlements in central Serbia. The sample consisted of 143 men and 221 women. Demographic information (e.g., age, gender, educational level, marital and reproductive history, level of socioeconomic status and residence pattern), social assistance history, health status, height, and weight were collected, in addition to kinship relationship dynamics. Receiving social assistance was consistently negatively associated with all measures of kin support, more so for Roma males than females while decreased kin support was found to result in poorer self-rated health and decline in reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Čvorović
- Institute of Ethnography, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Željko Vojinović
- Faculty of Economics Subotica, University of Novi Sad, Subotica, Serbia
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Čvorović J. The Differential Impact of Religion on Self-Reported Health Among Serbian Roma Women. JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HEALTH 2019; 58:2047-2064. [PMID: 31098830 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-019-00824-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The present paper offers an account of how self-reported health varies with religious affiliation and reproductive effort among Serbian Roma women. Data were collected in 2014-2018 in two Roma semi-urban settlements in central Serbia. The sample consisted of 177 Christian and 127 Muslim women, averaging 54 years of age. In addition to religious affiliation (Christianity/Islam), demographic data, reproductive histories, data on self-reported and children's health were collected, along with height and weight, and smoking status. Christian and Muslim Roma women differed significantly on a number of variables, with Muslim women reporting poorer health and higher reproductive effort. Among Roma women religion may be an important determinant of reproductive and fertility patterns, largely because it may have formed an important foundation upon which identity is based. This study adds to the literature on the cross-cultural relevance of the ways religion shapes reproductive behaviors for understanding the health variations of women from the same ethnic group who profess different religions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Čvorović
- Institute of Ethnography, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Belgrade, Serbia.
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Čvorović J. Influence of maternal height on children's health status and mortality: A cross-sectional study in poor Roma communities in rural Serbia. HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2018; 69:357-363. [PMID: 30514571 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2018.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
To determine possible variations in children's health status and mortality associated with variations in maternal stature, an anthropometric and demographic study was conducted in a Roma population of poor socio-economic status in rural Serbia. Data were collected during several years of anthropological fieldwork. The sample consisted of 691 women, ranging from 16 to 80 years of age. In addition to stature, Roma women's demographics, reproductive history, reproductive outcomes and health status of their children were collected. The results provide evidence of a significant association between mother's stature and their children's health and mortality, with a shorter mother's stature predisposing children to poor health and survival outcomes. The findings could prompt development of a definition of short stature among Roma women to evaluate the risk based on height distribution among the general Roma population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Čvorović
- Institute of Ethnography, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Belgrade 11 000, Serbia.
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SELF-RATED HEALTH AND TEENAGE PREGNANCIES IN ROMA WOMEN: INCREASING HEIGHT IS ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER HEALTH OUTCOMES. J Biosoc Sci 2018; 51:444-456. [PMID: 29886851 DOI: 10.1017/s0021932018000196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
This paper reports on the association between early marriage, age at first reproduction and height, as an indicator of childhood environment, and maternal health outcomes among traditional Roma women in Serbia. Demographic data, marital and reproductive histories, height, weight and self-rated health were collected from 414 Roma women living in rural settlements in Serbia in 2015-2017. Data analysis showed that higher age and weight were associated with a greater risk of poor health, greater height contributed to reduced risk of poor health while reproductive variables were insignificant. The study provides evidence that the long-term effects of early childbearing may not always be associated with poorer health status. As indicated by the differences in height, it is likely that women who were capable of reproducing very early on and staying healthy in later life were probably very healthy to begin with. The results probably reflect both the biological and social differences of early childhood. Aside from height, the traditional Roma marriage pattern and social benefits may have an additional protective effect on the health of women.
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Enache G, Rusu E, Ilinca A, Rusu F, Costache A, Jinga M, Pănuş C, Radulian G. PREVALENCE OF OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY IN A ROMA POPULATION FROM SOUTHERN ROMANIA - CALARASI COUNTY. ACTA ENDOCRINOLOGICA (BUCHAREST, ROMANIA : 2005) 2018; 14:122-130. [PMID: 31149246 PMCID: PMC6516591 DOI: 10.4183/aeb.2018.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The prevalence of obesity has reached alarming levels in the European Union, including in Romania. Data on the prevalence of obesity is only available at the national populational level, but this may hide the increased levels in disadvantaged groups. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the Roma population in Southern Romania. MATERIAL AND METHOD This cross-sectional, epidemiological, non-interventional study was conducted from March 2014 to May 2017 in several settlements from Calarasi County. Screening procedures included interviews about medical history, lifestyle, anthropometric and clinical measurements and fasting capillary glucose. RESULTS The study population consisted of 1120 adult subjects, of which 735 Roma. In Roma population group, the prevalence of underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity was 4.5% (n=33), 25% (n=184), 25.3% (n=186) and 45.2% (n=332) respectively. In Romanian Caucasians group, the prevalence of underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity was 2.3% (n=9), 20% (n=77), 33.8% (n=130) and 43.9% (n=169) respectively. Among the Romanian Caucasians significant predictors of obesity were a sedentary lifestyle and current smoking. The odds of being obese in Roma population were higher in sedentary lifestyle persons and lower in current smokers, with primary education, and in those living in rural settlements. The family history of obesity had a significant association with obesity only in Roma population. CONCLUSIONS Our results confirm the need to implement prevention programs in high-risk populations due to the double burden of malnutrition, lack of medical education and preventive healthcare, low socio-economic level.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. Enache
- “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
- “Dr Pompei Samarian” County Emergency Hospital, Calarasi, Craiova, Romania
| | - E. Rusu
- “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
- “Nicolae Malaxa” Clinical Hospital Bucharest, Romania
| | - A. Ilinca
- “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
| | - F. Rusu
- “Carol Davila” Clinical Emergency Military Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
| | - A. Costache
- “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
| | - M. Jinga
- “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
- “Carol Davila” Clinical Emergency Military Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
| | - C. Pănuş
- County Clinical Emergency Hospital of Craiova, Craiova, Romania
| | - G. Radulian
- “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
- “Prof. N.C. Paulescu” National Institute of Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases, Bucharest, Romania
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Reproductive Investment and Health Costs in Roma Women. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2017; 14:ijerph14111337. [PMID: 29099752 PMCID: PMC5707976 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14111337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we examine whether variation in reproductive investment affects the health of Roma women using a dataset collected through original anthropological fieldwork among Roma women in Serbia. Data were collected in 2014–2016 in several Roma semi-urban settlements in central Serbia. The sample consisted of 468 Roma women, averaging 44 years of age. We collected demographic data (age, school levels, socioeconomic status), risk behaviors (smoking and alcohol consumption), marital status, and reproductive history variables (the timing of reproduction, the intensity of reproduction, reproductive effort and investment after birth), in addition to self-reported health, height, and weight. Data analyses showed that somatic, short-term costs of reproduction were revealed in this population, while evolutionary, long-term costs were unobservable—contrariwise, Roma women in poor health contributed more to the gene pool of the next generation than their healthy counterparts. Our findings appear to be consistent with simple trade-off models that suggest inverse relationships between reproductive effort and health. Thus, personal sacrifice—poor health as an outcome—seems crucial for greater reproductive success.
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Nagy K, Fiatal S, Sándor JS, Ádány R. Distinct Penetrance of Obesity-Associated Susceptibility Alleles in the Hungarian General and Roma Populations. Obes Facts 2017; 10:444-457. [PMID: 28988247 PMCID: PMC5741168 DOI: 10.1159/000478094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS The aim of our study was to explore differences in genetic predisposition to obesity between the Hungarian general and Roma populations. METHODS A total of 1,152 samples from the Hungarian Roma population and 1,743 samples from the Hungarian general population were genotyped for 20 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with the risk of obesity. Two types of multilocus genetic risk scores were constructed to estimate the combined effect of selected SNPs. RESULTS Risk allele frequencies differed significantly between the two populations for 11 SNPs, with no enrichment in any of the two study groups. Variants (rs1558902, rs1121980, rs9939609, and rs9941349) in the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene exhibited strong but ethnicity-independent association with obesity. Genetic risk scores showed stronger associations with obesity in the Roma population compared with the Hungarian general population; however, without significant gene-population interaction. CONCLUSION Differences in obesity prevalence between the Hungarian general and Hungarian Roma populations could not be explained by their distinct genetic susceptibility, rather by ethnicity-related environmental and behavioral factors. Nonetheless, particular gene-environment interactions might contribute to the distinct penetrance of the obesity-associated genetic factors in populations of different ethnic backgrounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Károly Nagy
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- *Károly Nagy, Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, 26 Kassai Street, Debrecen H 4012, Hungary,
| | - Szilvia Fiatal
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- WHO Collaborating Center on Vulnerability and Health, Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - JSános Sándor
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- WHO Collaborating Center on Vulnerability and Health, Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Róza Ádány
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- WHO Collaborating Center on Vulnerability and Health, Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- MTA-DE Public Health Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Roma people are particularly vulnerable to developing overweight and obesity. Self-perception of body image may influence the prevalence of obesity in this ethnic minority. AIM The objectives of this study are to estimate the prevalence of obesity, to analyse body size perceptions and preferences and to assess the relationship between body size perceptions and obesity in the Roma population. SUBJECTS AND METHODS The analyses were carried out on 372 men, women and children from the Roma population residing in the Greater Bilbao region (Basque Country, Spain). In adults, a standard figural scale was used to analyse body size perceptions and preferences in this ethnic minority. RESULTS Overall 51.7% of adult and 24.4% of minor Roma individuals were obese. Both Roma men and women had inaccurate self-perceptions of their body size. Significant differences on body size perceptions were detected based on age, sex, nutritional status and socioeconomic characteristics. CONCLUSION This Roma population presents one of the highest rates of obesity worldwide. Although a certain awareness of the correct weight status was appreciated, the inability of Roma individuals to see themselves as overweight or obese may be a significant factor on the high prevalence of obesity in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaitz Poveda
- Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) , Bilbao , Spain
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Zeljko HM, Skarić-Jurić T, Narančić NS, Barešić A, Tomas Z, Petranović MZ, Miličić J, Salihović MP, Janićijević B. Age trends in prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in Roma minority population of Croatia. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2013; 11:326-336. [PMID: 22633739 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2012.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2011] [Revised: 02/29/2012] [Accepted: 02/29/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The Roma (Gypsy) are the largest European minority population characterized by poverty, social exclusion as well as by numerous life-style and cultural specificities, which all could have an adverse impact on their cardiovascular health. This study assesses the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) risk factors in community-based sample of 430 adult Roma, living in rural area of Croatia, by providing the actual and age-adjusted estimates using the European standard population. The most prominent classical CVD risk phenotypes (blood pressure, obesity, smoking, glucose and lipid profile) were selected, and the standard risk cut-offs were applied. The study has shown that compared to general population of Croatia, the Roma population bears a high CVD risk factors load related to smoking and high glucose level. The CVD risk factors prevalence in Roma also showed important sex and age patterns, the most imposing of which are the findings of higher prevalence of CVD risks in women (especially obesity and triglyceride levels) and the trend of higher body mass index (BMI) level in younger age group (18-34 years) which both stand in contrast to the trends characterizing the general population of Croatia. These findings are complemented by the trend of decreased risk in the oldest age group (65+ years) for all investigated CVD risk factors (with exception of triglycerides level) compared to the 50-64 age group. We conclude that the age and sex CVD risks pattern point to the health transition of this rural Roma population. As we expect the proportion of CVD in the Roma minority of Croatia to increase in the future along with further modernization of their lifestyle, the CVD prevention measures in this population are urgent and should be primarily targeted at women and at the younger segment of this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hrvojka Marija Zeljko
- Clinical Hospital Merkur, Department of Internal Medicine, Zajčeva 19, Zagreb, Croatia.
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Janevic T, Petrovic O, Bjelic I, Kubera A. Risk factors for childhood malnutrition in Roma settlements in Serbia. BMC Public Health 2010; 10:509. [PMID: 20727212 PMCID: PMC2936427 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2009] [Accepted: 08/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Children living in Roma settlements in Central and Eastern Europe face extreme levels of social exclusion and poverty, but their health status has not been well studied. The objective of this study was to elucidate risk factors for malnutrition in children in Roma settlements in Serbia. Methods Anthropometric and sociodemographic measures were obtained for 1192 Roma children under five living in Roma settlements from the 2005 Serbia Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. Multiple logistic regression was used to relate family and child characteristics to the odds of stunting, wasting, and underweight. Results The prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight was 20.1%, 4.3%, and 8.0%, respectively. Nearly all of the children studied fell into the lowest quintile of wealth for the overall population of Serbia. Children in the lowest quintile of wealth were four times more likely to be stunted compared to those in the highest quintile, followed by those in the second lowest quintile (AOR = 2.1) and lastly by those in the middle quintile (AOR = 1.6). Children who were ever left in the care of an older child were almost twice as likely to stunted as those were not. Children living in urban settlements showed a clear disadvantage with close to three times the likelihood of being wasted compared to those living in rural areas. There was a suggestion that maternal, but not paternal, education was associated with stunting, and maternal literacy was significantly associated with wasting. Whether children were ever breastfed, immunized or had diarrhoeal episodes in the past two weeks did not show strong correlations to children malnutrition status in this Roma population. Conclusions There exists a gradient relationship between household wealth and stunting even within impoverished settlements, indicating that among poor and marginalized populations socioeconomic inequities in child health should be addressed. Other areas on which to focus future research and public health intervention include maternal literacy, child endangerment practices, and urban settlements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Janevic
- MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies, Global Health Initiative,Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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