1
|
McGrosky A, Swanson ZS, Rimbach R, Bethancourt H, Ndiema E, Nzunza R, Braun DR, Rosinger AY, Pontzer H. Total daily energy expenditure and elevated water turnover in a small-scale semi-nomadic pastoralist society from Northern Kenya. Ann Hum Biol 2024; 51:2310724. [PMID: 38594936 DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2024.2310724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pastoralists live in challenging environments, which may be accompanied by unique activity, energy, and water requirements. AIM Few studies have examined whether the demands of pastoralism contribute to differences in total energy expenditure (TEE) and water turnover (WT) compared to other lifestyles. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Accelerometer-derived physical activity, doubly labelled water-derived TEE and WT, and anthropometric data were collected for 34 semi-nomadic Daasanach adults from three northern Kenyan communities with different levels of pastoralist activity. Daasanach TEEs and WTs were compared to those of other small-scale and industrialised populations. RESULTS When modelled as a function of fat-free-mass, fat-mass, age, and sex, TEE did not differ between Daasanach communities. Daasanach TEE (1564-4172 kcal/day) was not significantly correlated with activity and 91% of TEEs were within the range expected for individuals from comparison populations. Mean WT did not differ between Daasanach communities; Daasanach absolute (7.54 litres/day men; 7.46 litres/day women), mass-adjusted, and TEE-adjusted WT was higher than most populations worldwide. CONCLUSIONS The similar mass-adjusted TEE of Daasanach and industrialised populations supports the hypothesis that habitual TEE is constrained, with physically demanding lifestyles necessitating trade-offs in energy allocation. Elevated WT in the absence of elevated TEE likely reflects a demanding active lifestyle in a hot, arid climate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Zane S Swanson
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Global Food and Water Security Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, WA, USA
| | - Rebecca Rimbach
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Emmanuel Ndiema
- Department of Earth Sciences, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - David R Braun
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Anthropology Department, George Washington University, Washington, WA, USA
- Technological Primate Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Asher Y Rosinger
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, PA State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Swanson ZS, Bethancourt H, Nzunza R, Ndiema E, Braun DR, Rosinger AY, Pontzer H. The effects of lifestyle change on indicators of cardiometabolic health in semi-nomadic pastoralists. Evol Med Public Health 2023; 11:318-331. [PMID: 37841024 PMCID: PMC10576223 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoad030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and objectives Non-communicable disease risk and the epidemic of cardiometabolic diseases continue to grow across the expanding industrialized world. Probing the relationships between evolved human physiology and modern socioecological conditions is central to understanding this health crisis. Therefore, we investigated the relationships between increased market access, shifting subsistence patterns and cardiometabolic health indicators within Daasanach semi-nomadic pastoralists who vary in their engagement in traditional lifestyle and emerging market behaviors. Methodology We conducted cross-sectional socioecological, demographic and lifestyle stressor surveys along with health, biomarker and nutrition examinations among 225 (51.6% female) Daasanach adults in 2019-2020. We used linear mixed-effects models to test how differing levels of engagement in market integration and traditional subsistence activities related to blood pressure (BP), body composition and blood chemistry. Results We found that systolic and diastolic BP, as well as the probability of having high BP (hypertension), were negatively associated with distance to market, a proxy for market integration. Additionally, body composition varied significantly by socioeconomic status (SES), with significant positive associations between BMI and body fat and higher SES among adults. Conclusions and implications While evidence for evolutionary mismatch and health variation have been found across a number of populations affected by an urban/rural divide, these results demonstrate the effects of market integration and sedentarization on cardiometabolic health associated with the early stages of lifestyle changes. Our findings provide evidence for the changes in health when small-scale populations begin the processes of sedentarization and market integration that result from myriad market pressures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zane S Swanson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 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, DC, USA
- Technological Primates Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Germany
| | - Asher Y Rosinger
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA, USA
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Bethancourt HJ, Swanson ZS, Nzunza R, Young SL, Lomeiku L, Douglass MJ, Braun DR, Ndiema EK, Pontzer H, Rosinger AY. The co-occurrence of water insecurity and food insecurity among Daasanach pastoralists in northern Kenya. Public Health Nutr 2022; 26:1-11. [PMID: 35941080 PMCID: PMC9989708 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980022001689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Water plays a critical role in the production of food and preparation of nutritious meals, yet few studies have examined the relationship between water and food insecurity. The primary objective of this study, therefore, was to examine how experiences of household water insecurity (HWI) relate to experiences of household food insecurity (HFI) among a pastoralist population living in an arid, water-stressed region of northern Kenya. DESIGN We implemented the twelve-item Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE, range 0-36) Scale and the nine-item Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS, range 0-27) in a cross-sectional survey to measure HWI and HFI, respectively. Data on socio-demographic characteristics and intake of meat and dairy in the prior week were collected as covariates of interest. SETTING Northern Kenya, June-July 2019. PARTICIPANTS Daasanach pastoralist households (n 136) from seven communities. RESULTS In the prior 4 weeks, 93·4 % and 98·5 % of households had experienced moderate-to-severe HWI and HFI, respectively. Multiple linear regression analyses indicated a strong association between HWI and HFI. Each point higher HWISE score was associated with a 0·44-point (95 % CI: 0·22, 0·66, P = 0·003) higher HFIAS score adjusting for socio-economic status and other covariates. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate high prevalence and co-occurrence of HWI and HFI among Daasanach pastoralists in northern Kenya. This study highlights the need to address HWI and HFI simultaneously when developing policies and interventions to improve the nutritional well-being of populations whose subsistence is closely tied to water availability and access.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hilary J Bethancourt
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Institute for Research Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Zane S Swanson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Sera L Young
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Institute for Research Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Luke Lomeiku
- Department of Education and Outreach Programs, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Matthew J Douglass
- College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and Agricultural Research Division, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - David R Braun
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Emmanuel K Ndiema
- Department of Earth Sciences, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Asher Yoel Rosinger
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA16802, USA
- Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Rosinger AY, Bethancourt HJ, Swanson ZS, Lopez K, Kenney WL, Huanca T, Conde E, Nzunza R, Ndiema E, Braun DR, Pontzer H. Cross-cultural variation in thirst perception in hot-humid and hot-arid environments: Evidence from two small-scale populations. Am J Hum Biol 2021; 34:e23715. [PMID: 34942040 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Thirst is an evolved central homeostatic feedback system that helps regulate body water for survival. Little research has examined how early development and exposure to extreme environments and water availability affect thirst perception, particularly outside Western settings. Therefore, we compared two indicators of perceived thirst (current thirst and pleasantness of drinking water) using visual scales among Tsimane' forager-horticulturalists in the hot-humid Bolivian Amazon and Daasanach agro-pastoralists in hot-arid Northern Kenya. METHODS We examined how these measures of perceived thirst were associated with hydration status (urine specific gravity), ambient temperatures, birth season, age, and population-specific characteristics for 607 adults (n = 378 Tsimane', n = 229 Daasanach) aged 18+ using multi-level mixed-effect regressions. RESULTS Tsimane' had higher perceived thirst than Daasanach. Across populations, hydration status was unrelated to both measures of thirst. There was a significant interaction between birth season and temperature on pleasantness of drinking water, driven by Kenya data. Daasanach born in the wet season (in utero during less water availability) had blunted pleasantness of drinking water at higher temperatures compared to those born in the dry season (in utero during greater water availability). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest hydration status is not a reliable predictor of thirst perceptions in extreme-hot environments with ad libitum drinking. Rather, our findings, which require additional confirmation, point to the importance of water availability during gestation in affecting thirst sensitivity to heat and water feedback mechanisms, particularly in arid environments. Thirst regulation will be increasingly important to understand given climate change driven exposures to extreme heat and water insecurity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Asher Y Rosinger
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hilary J Bethancourt
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Zane S Swanson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kaylee Lopez
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - W Larry Kenney
- Department of Kinesiology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Tomas Huanca
- Centro Boliviano de Investigación y Desarrollo Socio Integral, San Borja, Bolivia
| | - Esther Conde
- Centro Boliviano de Investigación y Desarrollo Socio Integral, San Borja, Bolivia
| | - Rosemary Nzunza
- Center for Virus Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - 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
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Rosinger AY, Bethancourt H, Swanson ZS, Nzunza R, Saunders J, Dhanasekar S, Kenney WL, Hu K, Douglass MJ, Ndiema E, Braun DR, Pontzer H. Drinking water salinity is associated with hypertension and hyperdilute urine among Daasanach pastoralists in Northern Kenya. Sci Total Environ 2021; 770:144667. [PMID: 33515884 PMCID: PMC7969420 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Water salinity is a growing global environmental health concern. However, little is known about the relation between water salinity and chronic health outcomes in non-coastal, lean populations. Daasanach pastoralists living in northern Kenya traditionally rely on milk, yet are experiencing socioecological changes and have expressed concerns about the saltiness of their drinking water. Therefore, this cross-sectional study conducted water quality analyses to examine how water salinity, along with lifestyle factors like milk intake, was associated with hypertension (blood pressure BP ≥140 mm Hg systolic or ≥90 mm Hg diastolic) and hyperdilute urine (urine specific gravity <1.003 g/mL, indicative of altered kidney function). We collected health biomarkers and survey data from 226 non-pregnant adults (46.9% male) aged 18+ from 134 households in 2019 along with participant observations in 2020. The salinity (total concentration of all dissolved salts) of reported drinking water from hand-dug wells in dry river beds, boreholes, and a pond ranged from 120 to 520 mg/L. Water from Lake Turkana and standpipes, which was only periodically used for consumption when no other drinking sources are available, ranged from 1100 to 2300 mg/L. Multiple logistic regression models with standard errors clustered on households indicate that each additional 100 mg/L of drinking water salinity was associated with 45% (95% CI: 1.09-1.93, P = 0.010) increased odds of hypertension and 33% (95% CI: 0.97-1.83, P = 0.075) increased odds of hyperdilute urine adjusted for confounders. Results were robust to multiple specifications of the models and sensitivity analyses. Daily milk consumption was associated with 61-63% (P < 0.01) lower odds of both outcomes. This considerable protective effect of milk intake may be due to the high potassium, magnesium, and calcium contents or the protective lifestyle considerations of moving with livestock. Our study results demonstrate that drinking water salinity may have critical health implications for blood pressure and kidney function even among lean, active pastoralists.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Asher Y Rosinger
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America; Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States of America.
| | - Hilary Bethancourt
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Zane S Swanson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | | | - Jessica Saunders
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Shiva Dhanasekar
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - W Larry Kenney
- Department of Kinesiology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Kebin Hu
- Department of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, United States of America
| | - Matthew J Douglass
- College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and Agricultural Research Division, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States of America
| | - 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, DC, United States of America; Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America; Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Swanson ZS, Pontzer H. Water turnover among human populations: Effects of environment and lifestyle. Am J Hum Biol 2019; 32:e23365. [PMID: 31782865 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To discuss the environmental and lifestyle determinants of water balance in humans and identify the gaps in current research regarding water use across populations. METHODS We investigated intraspecific variation in water turnover by comparing data derived from a large number of human populations measured using either dietary survey or isotope tracking. We also used published data from a broad sample of mammalian species to identify the interspecific relationship between body mass and water turnover. RESULTS Water facilitates nearly all physiological tasks and water turnover is strongly related to body size among mammals (r2=0.90). Within humans, however, the effect of body size is small. Instead, water intake and turnover vary with lifestyle and environmental conditions. Notably, despite living physically active lives in conditions that should increase water demands, the available measures of water intake and turnover among small-scale farming and pastoralist communities are broadly similar to those in less active, industrialized populations. CONCLUSIONS More work is required to better understand the environmental, behavioral, and cultural determinants of water turnover in humans living across a variety of ecosystems and lifestyles. The results of such work are made more vital by the climate crisis, which threatens the water security of millions around the globe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zane S Swanson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| |
Collapse
|