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Objectives: Biocultural perspectives combining methods and theories from biological and cultural anthropology are needed to better understand socioeconomic and race‐based health inequities in the United States. For example, the developmental trajectories of gastrointestinal health disparities based on embodied (i.e., internalized) inequities in resource access and environmental pathogen exposure are poorly understood. Here, we present a preliminary exploration of these relationships among 20 children (aged 3–14 years) from 12 families living in a low‐resource, predominantly Black, rural Mississippi community. Methods: Relationships between fecal calprotectin levels (FC; biomarker of intestinal inflammation measured from stool samples), BMI‐for‐age/Height‐for‐age z‐scores (calculated from standard anthropometric measures), household income/size (from parent interviews), and parasitic worm (helminth) infection status (detected in stool samples by 18 s rRNA gene amplification/sequencing) were tested using bootstrap linear regression and ANOVA/ANCOVA tests. Results: About 80% of sampled children had clinically elevated FC (> 50 μg/g). BMI z‐scores (95%CI = −154.63; −7.34) and household income (95%CI = −135.90; −16.44) were negatively associated with FC levels. Household size was positively associated with FC levels (95%CI = 4.65, 101.61). Helminth infections were detected (n = 6), with positive associations between infection and the FC level (p < 0.05) that were likely driven by two infected children with very high FC levels. Conclusion: The high levels of intestinal inflammation in this small sample of children suggest that gastrointestinal health disparities may appear in childhood. We explore how these disparities may be related to inequities in environmental exposures, nutritional and socioeconomic status, and barriers to medical care and resource access. Intestinal inflammation levels (mean fecal calprotectin) were significantly higher in children infected with platyhelmints (flatworms; Figure 2A), but this relationship appears to be driven by two infected children with very high levels of inflammation (Figure 2b) and more complex, interconnected factors are likely at play. Figure captions refer in meta xml. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Intestinal infections with helminths (parasitic worms) and protists (single‐celled eukaryotes) may be neglected health issues in low‐resource communities across the United States. Because they predominantly infect school‐aged children and can lead to nutritional deficiencies and developmental delays, these infections can affect lifelong health. More research is needed to understand the prevalence and risk factors of these parasitic infections in the United States. Methods: A total of 24 children (ages 0.5–14 years) from a low‐resource, rural Mississippi Delta community provided stool samples for 18s rRNA amplification and sequencing to determine infection presence. Parent/guardian interviews provided age, sex, and household size to test for associations with infection. Results: Infections were found in 38% (n = 9) of the samples. 25% (n = 6) of participants were infected with helminths (platyhelminths [n = 5]; nematodes [n = 2]), while 21% (n = 5) were infected with protists (Blastocystis [n = 4]; Cryptosporidium [n = 1]). There were no associations between infection status and age, sex, or household size. Problematically, analytical methods did not allow for more specific classifications for helminth species. Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest parasitic infections may be overlooked health issues in the rural Mississippi Delta and emphasize the need for more research on potential health outcomes within the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]