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Ethnography is a core methodology in anthropology and other disciplines. Yet, there is currently no scholarly consensus on how to teach ethnographic methods—or even what methods belong in the ethnographic toolkit. We report on a systematic analysis of syllabi to gauge how ethnographic methods are taught in the United States. We analyze 107 methods syllabi from a nationally elicited sample of university faculty who teach ethnography. Systematic coding shows that ethics, research design, participant observation, interviewing, and analysis are central to ethnographic instruction. But many key components of ethical, quality ethnographic practice (like preparing an IRB application, reflexivity, positionality, taking field notes, accurate transcription, theme identification, and coding) are only taught rarely. We suggest that, without inclusion of such elements in its basic training, the fields that prioritize this methodology are at risk of inadvertently perpetuating uneven, erratic, and extractive fieldwork practices.

In Coatepec, Mexico, the immediate postpartum is considered a special time, called the cuarentena, when postpartum women receive critical social support and observe diet and activity pre- and proscriptions-all intended to enhance maternal-child health. This study examined how public health mandates aimed at containing COVID-19, which instructed people to socially isolate, affected women's postpartum experiences, including observing the cuarentena.We recruited first-time mothers from the local public health clinic and collected qualitative data via a verbally administered survey that covered knowledge/perceived threat of COVID-19 and its effect on the cuarentena and maternal mood. We used content analysis to analyze the data.We conducted 33 telephonic interviews from March to December 2020. Overall, women were knowledgeable about and receptive to public health messaging regarding COVID-19 risks and safety measures. Despite knowledge and receptivity, most followed their original cuarentena plans to observe culturally prescribed postpartum practices, even when doing so contradicted public health mandates. However, the mandates that limited socialization with friends and extended family during the cuarentena negatively affected maternal mood.Postpartum women, especially in under-studied low- and middle-income countries, merit research attention. Emergent from this study is that public health messaging should speak to its target audience in a way that makes sense within local contexts, which includes consideration of highly valued health practices. Future studies aimed at understanding how to achieve this goal will facilitate development of stronger programs that address public health needs and protect individual well-being.

The goal of assessing psychosocial stress as a process and outcome in naturalistic (i.e., field) settings is applicable across the social, biological, and health sciences. Meaningful measurement of biology-in-context is, however, far from simple or straightforward. In this brief methods review, we introduce theoretical framings, methodological conventions, and ethical concerns around field-collection of markers of psychosocial stress that have emerged from 50 years of research at the intersection of anthropology and human biology. Highlighting measures of psychosocial stress outcomes most often used in biocultural studies, we identify the circumstances under which varied measures are most appropriately applied and provide examples of the types of cutting-edge research questions these measures can address. We explain that field-based psychosocial stress measures embedded in different body systems are neither equivalent nor interchangeable, but this recognition strengthens the study of stress as always simultaneously cultural and biological, situated in local ecologies, social–political structures, and time.

Food insecurity, a significant contributor to nutritional inequality, disproportionately affects women and children in low- and middle-income countries. The magnitude of the problem has inspired research on its impacts on health, especially on nutritional status and, more recently, mental well-being. Current research is dominated by surveillance-type studies that emphasize access, one of food security's four dimensions. Findings are inconclusive regarding the association between food insecurity and women and children's nutritional status, but some evidence indicates that it is a key contributor to mental distress in women. To understand these inconsistent findings, we emphasize the need for research on the strategies that people use to cope with inadequate access to food. We contend that biocultural approaches that recognize the importance of local contexts and the role of broader political-economic factors in shaping them are well suited for addressing current knowledge gaps.

Food insecurity is a significant and growing concern undermining the wellbeing of 30% of the global population. Food in/security is a complex construct consisting of four dimensions: availability, access, utilization, and stability, making it challenging to measure. We provide a toolkit human biologists/ecologists can use to advance research on this topic.We review the strengths and limitations of common tools used to measure food access and utilization, the two dimensions most proximate to people's lived experience, and emphasize tools that provide data needed to best link food security with human biological outcomes. We also discuss methods that provide contextual data human biologists/ecologists will find useful for study design, ensuring instrument validity, and improving data quality.Food access is principally measured using experience-based instruments that emphasize economic access. Social access, such as food sharing, is under-studied and we recommend using social network analysis to explore this dimension. In terms of utilization, emphasis has been on food choice measured as dietary diversity. Food preparation and intrahousehold distribution, also part of the utilization dimension, are less studied and standardized instruments for measuring both are lacking. The embodiment of food insecurity has focused on child growth, although a growing literature addresses adult mental wellbeing and chronic and infectious disease risk.We see the potential to expand outcomes to include reproductive and immune function, physical activity, and the gut microbiome. Human biologists/ecologists are well-positioned to advance understanding of the human health impacts of food insecurity and provide data to support intervention efforts.

A growing body of literature identifies food insecurity (FI) as a critical social determinant of mental health. Across settings, quantitative studies report positive correlations between FI and mental distress, especially among women. Less understood are the pathways by which FI undermines women's mental well-being. To address this gap, we conducted six focus group discussions with 45 Nicaraguan mothers. Thematic analysis identified three themes linking the management of FI and maternal mental well-being in this setting. The theme, la lucha, underscored how the chronicity of FI served as a constant mental strain by demanding mothers strategize on a daily basis to resolve it. The themes "tranquility is a child with a full belly" and "the despairing and frustrated mother" emphasized how FI challenged women's abilities to fulfill the responsibilities of motherhood and served as a reminder of social status. Our findings advance earlier quantitative work by identifying how the management of food insecurity undermines maternal mental well-being in a low-middle income setting and indicate that policies aimed at combating food insecurity can concomitantly improve maternal mental well-being if they bolster women's agency and work to reduce the stigma associated with being food insecure.

OBJECTIVES The gut microbiota varies across human populations. The first years of life are a critical period in its development. While delivery mode and diet contribute to observed variation, the additional contribution of specific environmental factors remains poorly understood. One factor is waterborne enteric pathogen exposure. In this pilot study, we explore the relationship between household water security and the gut microbiota of children. METHODS From Nicaraguan households (n = 39), we collected drinking water samples, as well as fecal samples from children aged one month to 5.99 years (n = 53). We tested water samples for total coliforms (CFU/mL) and the presence of common enteric pathogens. Composition and diversity of the gut microbiota were characterized by 16S rRNA sequencing. Households were classified as having drinking water that was "low" (

Poor mental health among those living in poverty is a serious global public health concern. Food insecurity (FI) is recognized as an important, yet critically understudied social determinant of mental health. The relationship between FI and mothers' mental health in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) is especially important to understand considering the high rates of poverty and associated FI in these settings. For these mothers, social support may serve as a buffer in ameliorating the impact of FI on mental distress. However, data required to understand these relationships in LMIC remain sparse. To address this gap we used quantitative and qualitative data and convergence parallel analysis to assess: the association between FI and maternal mental distress; and, whether three forms of social support - mother's general social network support and family support (spouse/partner living in the home, parents/in-laws living in the home) - moderated the association. A survey that included data on FI (ELCSA) and mental distress (SRQ-20) was administered to a population-based sample of mothers in León, Nicaragua (n = 434) in 2012. The survey was complemented by data from 6 focus groups. Regression models identified a strong positive relationship between household-level FI and maternal distress. Evidence of social support moderation was mixed: while maternal social network and spousal/partner support did not moderate this relationship, parental support did. Our ethnographic data revealed three themes that help explain these findings: FI is embarrassing/shameful, close family is the most appropriate source of social support and, fear of gossip and ridicule limit the buffering capacity of the social support network. Our findings contribute to a growing literature demonstrating that FI is an important social determinant of maternal mental distress in LMIC; and that some forms of social support may reduce (but not eliminate) the impact of FI on mental distress.

Conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs have become an increasingly popular component of poverty-alleviation policies worldwide. The highly publicized success of Brazil’s Bolsa Familia program (BFP), the largest such program in the world, has become a model for CCT programs elsewhere, including in highly rural African nations. This is despite the dearth of information on the impact of the program in rural contexts. Drawing on a unique natural experiment and using detailed anthropometric and dietary data collected in rural Amazonian subsistence-based communities, we analyze the impact of this critical policy on programmatic goals among the rural poor. Our data demonstrate the urgent need for more fine-grained biocultural research on this and similar policies. We show that despite close adherence to programmatic conditionalities, recipient households’ food security was measurably worse off and children’s poor nutritional status was virtually unchanged 4 years into the program. Using detailed ethnographic i...

OBJECTIVE This study describes secular trends in physical stature, Cormic Index (CI), and body mass index (BMI) of adult Makushi Amerindians born between 1910 and 1980, compares the stature of these Makushi adults to Makushi adults measured in 1921, and provides contextual data to inform the findings. METHODS Pearson's correlation was used to assess the relationship between year of birth and physical stature, BMI, and CI for 231 females and 113 males, 20 to 90 years of age measured in 2000 to 2001. Wilcoxon's test was used to compare physical stature of Makushi adults measured in 2000 to 2001 with that of 40 Makushi adults measured in 1921. RESULTS Among Makushi measured in 2000 to 2001, females and males born more recently were taller and had a lower CI but did not differ in BMI relative to their elders. Makushi measured in 2000 to 2001 are significantly taller than those Maksuhi measured in 1921. CONCLUSION The increased physical stature of and decreased CI in more recently born Makushi may be explained by a more favorable early life environment possibly due to public health measures and dietary changes. As well, trends in stature may be linked to genetic admixture with African-Guyanese migrating into the region during this time.

For the first time, the Olympic Games will be held in South America. The 31st Olympiad will take place in Rio de Janeiro 120 years after the first games of the modern era were initiated in Athens, ...

Diets of subsistence-based Amazonian populations have been linked to local resources, but are changing with market penetration.To review the available data on traditional Amazonian foods and diets and evaluate their implications for human biology as a step toward understanding nutrition transitions in the region.This study used the Human Relations Area Files for information on the diets of Amerindian groups in the Amazon Basin from 1950 to the present, and used other published sources and the authors' own data.Data on food use was identified for only nine groups and dietary intake data for individuals in only three of the groups. A diet based on starchy staples (manioc and plantains) and fish, supplemented with a limited variety of other plant and animal foods, was found. Bitter manioc-based foods were associated with the consumption of cyanogens and fish with the consumption of mercury. Diets of adults appear to be adequate in energy and protein and low in fats. Children's diets were not well documented.Based on the limited available data, Amazonian diets are restricted in variety, but appear to be adequate in energy and protein for adults, but likely insufficiently nutrient-dense for children.

Adult stature variation is commonly attributed to differential stress-levels during develop- ment. However, due to selective mortality and heteroge- neous frailty, a population's tall stature may be more indicative of high selective pressures than of positive life conditions. This article examines stature in a biocultural context and draws parallels between bioarchaeological and living populations to explore the multidimensional- ity of stature variation in the past. This study investi- gates: 1) stature differences between archaeological populations exposed to low or high stress (inferred from skeletal indicators); 2) similarities in growth retardation patterns between archaeological and living groups; and 3) the apportionment of variance in growth outcomes at the regional level in archaeological and living popula- tions. Anatomical stature estimates were examined in relation to skeletal stress indicators (cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, linear enamel hypoplasia) in two medieval bioarchaeological populations. Stature and bio- cultural information were gathered for comparative liv- ing samples from South America. Results indicate 1) significant (P < 0.01) differences in stature between groups exposed to different levels of skeletal stress; 2) greater prevalence of stunting among living groups, with similar patterns in socially stratified archaeological and modern groups; and 3) a degree of regional variance in growth outcomes consistent with that observed for highly selected traits. The relationship between early stress and growth is confounded by several factors— including catch-up growth, cultural buffering, and social inequality. The interpretations of early life conditions based on the relationship between stress and stature should be advanced with caution. Am J Phys Anthropol

This paper explores the expected outcome of maternal nutritional "buffering" namely that childrens diets will be more adequate than mothers diets under conditions of food scarcity. Data on Amazonian mothers and their children household demography and economics and direct weighed measures of household food availability and dietary intakes of mother-child pairs were collected from 51 households to address the following research questions: (1) is there evidence of food scarcity in this setting?; (2) are there differences in energy and protein adequacy between children and their mothers?; and (3) which individual and household-level factors are associated with these mother-child differences in energy and protein adequacy? In this context of food scarcity we found that the majority of children had more adequate energy (p < 0.001) and protein (p < 0.001) intakes than their mothers. Multivariate OLS regression models showed that of the individual-level factors child age and height-for-age were negatively associated with maternal-child energy and protein inequalities while maternal reproductive status (lactation) was positively associated with energy inequality. While there were no gender differences in dietary adequacy among children boys had a larger advantage over their mothers in terms of protein adequacy than girls. Household food availability was related to maternal-child energy and protein inequalities in a curvilinear fashion with the lowest inequalities found in households with extremely low food availability and those with adequate food resources. This is the first study to quantify maternal-child dietary inequalities in a setting of food scarcity and demonstrates the importance of the household context and individual characteristics in understanding the degree to which mothers protect their children from resource scarcity. Copyright (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

This study examined the spatial variation of potential gastrointestinal pathogens within drinking water sources and home storage containers in four neighborhoods in Maroua, Cameroon. Samples were collected from source (n= 28) and home containers (n= 60) in each study neighborhood. Pathogen contamination was assessed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, targeting Campylobacter spp., Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (virulence genes, stx1 and stx2), and Salmonella spp. Microbial source tracking (MST) targeted three different host-specific markers: HF183 (human), Rum2Bac (ruminant) and GFD (poultry) to identify contamination sources. Staphylococcus aureus and the tetracycline-resistance gene (tetQ) were assessed to measure human hand contact and presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Pathogen/MST levels were compared statistically and spatially, and neighborhood variation was compared with previously collected demographic information. All the test fecal markers and pathogens (except Arcobacter) were detected in home and source samples. Two neighborhoods tested positive for most pathogens/MST while the others only tested positive for one or two. Spatial variation of pathogens/MST existed between sources, storage containers, and neighborhoods. Differing population density and ethno-economic characteristics could potentially explain variation. Future research should explore the influence of demographic and ethno-economic factors on water quality during microbial risk assessments in urban Africa.

Shifting cultivation systems have been blamed as the primary cause of tropical deforestation and are being transformed through various forms of conservation and development policies and through the emergence of new markets for cash crops. Here, we analyze the outcomes of different policies on land use/land cover change (LUCC) in a traditional, shifting cultivation landscape in the Atlantic Forest (Brazil), one of the world’s top biodiversity hotspots. We also investigate the impacts of those policies on the environment and local livelihoods in Quilombola communities, which are formed by descendants of former Maroon colonies. Our findings show that conservation and social policies have had mixed effects both on the conservation of the Atlantic Forest and on the livelihoods of the Quilombola. We conclude that future interventions in the region need to build on the new, functional links between sustainable livelihoods and biodiversity, where less restrictive state policies leave room for new opportunities in self-organization and innovation.

The goal of this longitudinal study was to assess the impact of economic change and increased market integration on subsistence strategies, living conditions, growth, and nutritional status of Ribeirinhos living in the rural Amazon, Brazil. Data on weight, height, skinfolds, and circumferences, as well as data on economic strategies and living conditions were collected from 469 individuals in 2002 and 429 in 2009. Of these, 204 individuals were measured on both occasions. Independent and paired t-tests were used to identify changes in nutritional status over time in the larger sample and smaller, longitudinal subsample, respectively. Multiple linear regressions were used to examine the relationship between changes in economic/living conditions and nutritional status in the longitudinal subsample. Results indicate modest improvements in linear growth (HAZ) and among male children the observed increase was related to enrollment in the Brazilian conditional cash transfer program, Bolsa Familia (P = 0.03). In terms of short-term measures of nutritional status, we found a significant increase in ZTSF and a reduction in ZUMA in most age/sex groups. Among subadults, there was a negative relationship between ZUMA and access to electricity (P = 0.01) and positive relationship between ZUMA and the sale of the acai fruit (P = 0.04). Significant changes in weight and BMI (P < 0.01) were found among adult females and both were negatively related to household cash income (P = 0.02 and P = 0.03, respectively). Despite significant changes in economic strategies and lifestyle, changes in nutritional status were modest which may be explained by increased food insecurity documented during this early stage of transition.

Compared to other mammals, human milk is dilute which lowers the relative daily cost of lactation allowing women greater flexibility in the strategies they use to meet the energy demands of lactation. These strategies include increasing dietary intake, reducing energy expenditure, and drawing on energy stores. Women are affected by the biosocial context in which they live, including norms regarding the sexual division of labor and diet and activity patterns during lactation, as well as household-level factors such as economic strategy and the availability of social support. This paper combines longitudinal data on dietary intake, energy expenditure, and body weight of 23 lactating Amazonian women living in a subsistence-based economy with detailed ethnographic data and considers how adherence to the cultural norms and the availability of social support contributed to intra-population variation in maternal energetic strategies. Dietary intake was found to vary more than energy expenditure. Adherence to dietary restrictions during the postpartum period of resguardo significantly reduced intra-population variation in energy intake. Women with social support came closer to achieving energy balance during resguardo (t = 2.8; P = 0.01) and peak lactation (t = 2.7; P = 0.02) and lost less weight (t = 3.6; P = 0.002) than those without such support. Those with social support had higher energy (t = 2.1; P = 0.05) and carbohydrate (t = 2.1, P = 0.05) intakes during resguardo and spent significantly less time in subsistence work during peak (t = 2.6, P = 0.03) and late lactation(t = 2.4, P = 0.03). Case studies are used to place these finding in context. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The immediate postpartum period is recognized as a special time in many societies and is commonly associated with food and work restrictions. The logic of food restrictions during a period of increased energy and protein needs has been challenged, but few data are available to test the impact of these practices on the diets of lactating women. In the eastern Amazon the immediate postpartum period is referred to as resguardo, lasts for 40-41 days and includes food taboos and work restrictions. Taking a biocultural perspective, this paper combines data on the beliefs and attitudes surrounding the practice of resguardo with quantitative data on the actual dietary intakes and activity patterns of a cohort of 23 lactating women followed from birth through 15 months postpartum. This paper addresses three topics: (1) shared ideals regarding resguardo; (2) adherence to food and work restrictions; and (3) the impact of these practices on women's dietary intakes and energy expenditure. The results show that the majority of women adhered to food taboos and work restrictions. During resguardo energy expenditure in physical activity was lower, reducing women's energy needs and allowing them to devote more time to infant care. However, energy intakes were also lower. The reduction in dietary intake was impacted more by work restrictions and the loss of women in subsistence tasks during resguardo than by adherence to food taboos. In addition to altering maternal energetic strategies, resguardo served an important social function by reinforcing bonds and, for young women, marking the transition to womanhood.

In urban Maroua, Cameroon, improved drinking water sources are available to a large majority of the population, yet this water is frequently distributed through informal distribution systems and stored in home containers (canaries), leaving it vulnerable to contamination. We assessed where contamination occurs within the distribution system, determined potential sources of environmental contamination, and investigated potential pathogens. Gastrointestinal health status (785 individuals) was collected via health surveys. Drinking water samples were collected from drinking water sources and canaries. Escherichia coli and total coliform levels were evaluated and molecular detection was performed to measure human-associated faecal marker, HF183, tetracycline-resistance gene, tetQ, Campylobacter spp., and Staphylococcus aureus. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between microbial contamination and gastrointestinal illness. Canari samples had higher levels of contamination than source samples. HF183 and tetQ were detected in home and source samples. An inverse relationship was found between tetQ and E. coli. Presence of tetQ with lower E. coli levels increased the odds of reported diarrhoeal illness than E. coli levels alone. Further work is warranted to better assess the relationship between antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and other pathogens in micro-ecosystems within canaries and this relationship’s impact on drinking water quality.

Adult stature variation is commonly attributed to differential stress-levels during development. However, due to selective mortality and heterogeneous frailty, a population’s tall stature may be more indicative of high selective pressures than of positive life conditions. This article examines stature in a biocultural context and draws parallels between bioarchaeological and living populations to explore the multidimensionality of stature variation in the past. This study investigates: 1) stature differences between archaeological populations exposed to low or high stress (inferred from skeletal indicators); 2) similarities in growth retardation patterns between archaeological and living groups; and 3) the apportionment of variance in growth outcomes at the regional level in archaeological and living populations. Anatomical stature estimates were examined in relation to skeletal stress indicators (cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, linear enamel hypoplasia) in two medieval bioarchaeological populations. Stature and biocultural information were gathered for comparative living samples from South America. Results indicate 1) significant (P < 0.01) differences in stature between groups exposed to different levels of skeletal stress; 2) greater prevalence of stunting among living groups, with similar patterns in socially stratified archaeological and modern groups; and 3) a degree of regional variance in growth outcomes consistent with that observed for highly selected traits. The relationship between early stress and growth is confounded by several factors—including catch-up growth, cultural buffering, and social inequality. The interpretations of early life conditions based on the relationship between stress and stature should be advanced with caution.

Recently scholars have advocated for the use of a critical biocultural approach in bioarchaeology, where osteological and dental markers of stress are used to understand the broader biosocial context of past populations. However, the ability to accomplish this task rests on the assumption that ultimate-level environmental stressors and well-being in the past can be reconstructed from the prevalence of pathologies in skeletal collections. Here we test this assumption using anemia prevalence in the Mexican Family Life Survey. Specifically we test three hypotheses: (1) that individuals sharing the same household are more likely to share anemia status; (2) anemia status is a predictor of economic status (a common proxy for broader environmental context); and (3) anemia status is related to self-rated health. Results demonstrate that: anemia status was not commonly shared between household members; there was a significant overlap in economic status between anemic and nonanemic individuals (i.e., anemia poorly predicted economic status) and; while anemia status was associated with self-perceived health, the majority of those who reported poor health were nonanemic while a significant number of those who reported very good health were anemic. We argue that these findings are likely related to variation in individual frailty, which is shaped by biological and cultural risk factors. Therefore, we advocate for greater incorporation of individual frailty into bioarchaeological investigations, and, in effort to overcome some of the difficulties associated with this task, increased use of data from living populations and greater collaboration between bioarchaeologists and human biologists.

Food insecurity, the lack of consistent access to sufficient quality and quantity of food, affects an estimated 800 million people around the world. Although household food insecurity is generally associated with poor child nutrition and health in the USA, we know less about household food insecurity and child health in developing countries. Particularly lacking is research assessing how associations between household food insecurity and children's health outcomes may differ by child age and among children beyond age 5 years in low-income settings. We use data from a population-based sample of households with children ages 3-11 years (N = 431) in Leon, Nicaragua to consider how household food insecurity is associated with three measures of child health: illness, anaemia and low height-for-age. Our results provide new evidence that even mild household food insecurity is detrimental to children's health; and that child age conditions the associations between household food insecurity and child health. We find that food insecurity is especially harmful to health during early childhood, but continues to have significant associations with health into middle childhood (up to ages 7-8 years). We discuss the potential implications of these results for future child health research and policies in low-income countries. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Amazonian Indians are in the midst of a rapid cultural transition. The developments affecting Amazonian Indians present an opportunity to address important public health problems through public and private initiatives, but to do so it is imperative to begin with information on the health status of these peoples and the underlying factors affecting it. However, relatively few such data are available for this vast region.This study describes the nutritional status of Makushi Amerindians of Guyana and considers several variables which might help to explain it.Data for 792 Makushi, 0-20 years of age from 11 villages are considered. Outcome variables considered are anthropometric markers of growth and nutritional status; specifically height-for-age, weight-for-height and body-mass index. Predictor variables explored are age, sex, relative isolation, number of siblings, season of birth, diet and morbidity. Fisher's exact test, chi-square, Pearson's correlation and multiple regression were used to assess possible relationships between these variables.Relative to other Amazonian Indians, the Makushi have a lower rate of linear-growth faltering and a higher rate of linear-growth faltering relative to non-Amerindian Guyanese. Males, older cohorts, those living in isolated villages or born in the wet season showed higher rates of growth faltering.Makushi nutritional status may be explained by sex, age, relative isolation, family size, season of birth, dietary intake and infectious disease.

Variation in height and body proportions is relatively well-understood at the inter-population level, but less is known about intra-population variation. This study explores intra-population variation in body proportions among 172 (88 female; 84 male) adult rural Amazonians. We test the hypotheses that: (1) stunting is associated with changes in proportions and fatness; (2) the sexes express different proportions in response to similar environmental stress; and (3) female growth is negatively affected by the costs of reproduction. We examined height, sitting height, and total leg length in subsamples based on sex and nutritional status (stunted/nonstunted) in relation to biocultural factors including access to food and healthcare and female reproductive history parameters. Differences in proportions were examined using the Quick-Test (Tsutakawa and Hewett: Biometrics 33 (1977) 215–219); correlation analyses were used to detect associations between anthropometric data and body fatness, and female reproductive history parameters. We found significantly higher rates of stunting among females (X2 = 5.31; P = 0.02; RR = 1.4). Stunted individuals exhibited relatively shorter legs than nonstunted individuals (P = 0.02), although this was not found in within-sex analyses. A significant negative correlation was found between leg length index and fatness (P < 0.01). Lastly, females exhibited relatively shorter legs than males (P = 0.0003) and, among females, height and leg length were significantly positively correlated with age-at-first-birth (P < 0.02) suggesting that adolescent pregnancy may negatively affect growth in this population. Our findings provide insights for the study of intra-population variation in body proportions and highlight the importance of biocultural data in interpreting the pattern of variation observed in living and past populations. Am J Phys Anthropol 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to understand the relationship between economic change (wage labor, retirement, and the Bolsa Familia program) and dietary patterns in the rural Amazon and to determine the extent to which these changes followed the pattern of the nutrition transition. Methods: The study was longitudinal. The weighed-inventory method and economic interviews were used to collect data on dietary intake and household economics in a sample of 30 and 52 women in 2002 and 2009, respectively. Twenty of the women participated in both years and make-up the longitudinal sub-sample. Comparative statistics were used to identify changes in dietary patterns over time and multiple linear regressions were used to explore the relationship between economics, subsistence strategies, and diet. Results: There was a significant decline in kcal (P < 0.01) and carbohydrate (P < 0.01) but no change in protein intake over time in both the larger and smaller, longitudinal subsample. The percent of energy, carbohydrate, protein, and fat purchased increased in the larger and longitudinal samples (P ≤ 0.02) and there was an increase in refined carbohydrate and processed, fatty-meat consumption over time. The abandonment of manioc gardens was associated with increased dependence on purchased food (P = 0.03) while receipt of the Bolsa Familia was associated with increased protein intake and adequacy (P = 0.02). Conclusions: The dietary changes observed are only in partial agreement with predictions of the nutrition transition literature. The relationship between the economic and diet changes was shaped by the local context which should be considered when implementing CCT programs, like the Bolsa Familia. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2011. © 2011Wiley-Liss, Inc.

It is well established that breast milk is the ideal food for infants and that breastfeeding has short- and long-term health benefits for the mother and child. However, there is variation in breastfeeding patterns between populations. Women's work is thought to influence breastfeeding patterns and timing of supplementation and it is often assumed that women in subsistence-oriented societies can more easily integrate their productive and reproductive activities. This article reports longitudinal data, collected in three rounds (resguardo [40 days], peak [2-4 months], and late [14-16 months] lactation), on breastfeeding structure, infant care, and work patterns of 17 rural Amazonian women in an effort to understand how breastfeeding structure and maternal time allocation changed over time, as well as the strategies women used to integrate their productive and reproductive roles. Women breastfed 10.6 ± 3.1, 9.4 ± 3.4, and 9.6 ± 5.5 times per 9-h period in the three rounds, respectively. Breastfeeding structure, specifically session duration, changed over time (P0.05). As lactation progressed, women spent less time breastfeeding and in infant care and more time in subsistence work. In peak lactation, subsistence work was negatively correlated with infant care (r = -0.4, P = 0.01), breastfeeding (r = -0.29, P = 0.05) and session duration (r = -0.39, P0.01) and in late lactation was negatively correlated with time spent breastfeeding (r = -0.39, P0.01) and in infant care (r = -0.50, P0.01) and positively correlated with inter-session interval (r = 0.40, P0.01). Generally, women reduced time in subsistence work when breastfeeding was more intense and returned to normal activity patterns once infants were being supplemented. The costs and benefits associated with women's strategies are discussed.

The trend toward overweight and obesity in developing countries is often assumed to be due, in part, to reductions in energy expenditure associated with the transition from agrarian to urban lifestyles. In this article we first review the published studies on energy expenditure in farming populations living in developing countries, populations generally assumed to have high levels of energy expenditure. To facilitate comparison we express energy expenditure as physical activity level (PAL), i.e. the ratio of total daily energy expenditure to basal metabolic rate. Then, with the goal of better understanding variability in energy expenditure between different human groups, we focus on case studies of women farmers in Colombia and Brazil for whom we have good ethnographic data. The published studies reviewed indicate that most farmers have PAL values in the moderate physical activity range, but toward the high end of that range. PAL values of male farmers tend to be higher than female, and show greater seasonal variation. The case studies illustrate that women farmers, living in broadly similar environments, and dependent on the cultivation of the same crop can have quite different patterns of physical activity and hence PAL values. These differences are a function of differences in behavior related to social and cultural variables like the organization of work at the household level and perceptions of how food crops should be processed, as well as micro-level ecological factors.

Lactation is the most energetically demanding part of human reproduction; yet, compared with pregnancy, we know little about the strategies women in different settings employ to cope with these increased energy demands. This paper takes a biocultural approach and reports longitudinal data on the anthropometry, dietary intakes and energy expenditure of a sample of 23 rural, lactating Ribeirinha women living in subsistence-based communities in the eastern Amazon. The dietary intakes of these lactating women were insufficient to meet their lactating energy needs and were least sufficient during resguardo, a 40-day period in the immediate postpartum when the women observed a series of food taboos and work restrictions. Instead, the women in this study met the increased energy demands of lactation by drawing on their energy reserves and reducing their energy expenditure in physical activity. The women showed a significant reduction in weight (P < 0.001), BMI (P < 0.001) and in circumferences (hip, P = 0.01; waist, P = 0.03) and skinfolds (thigh, P = 0.03) in the gluteal femoral region. Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) was lowest during resguardo and increased as lactation progressed (P = 0.01). While the practice of resguardo reduced maternal energy expenditure and allowed women more time to spend with their newborn infants, it came at a cost (low dietary intake), which appears to be related to the loss of the adult woman from subsistence activities. By taking a biocultural approach this study illustrates the role the social environment plays in shaping the experience of lactating women. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Anthropometric and household data (size, composition, economic activity) were collected from a population of Ribeirinhos living in a rural setting in the eastern Amazon. Data are compared to international reference standards and to other Amazonian populations with the goals of increasing our understanding of the Amazon's largest ethnic group and identifying the relationship between changes in subsistence strategies and nutritional status. Data on height, weight, skinfolds, and circumferences were collected from 471 adults and subadults. The population showed a high degree of stunting with an average HAZ below −2.0 for all age groups over 3 years, and 60% of adult men and 70% of adult women were stunted. Wasting was rare. Average skinfold thicknesses and upper-arm muscle area were near or below average but within the normal range compared to the reference standard, indicating adequate energy and protein stores. Thirty-one percent of males and 29% of females were overweight/obese, and the highest average BMIs were found among men and women in their 40s. Adult males who participated in wage labor had higher weights, BMIs, and UMA values, and were more likely to be overweight and obese compared with those who did not work in wage-labor jobs. Children of fathers who worked in wage labor had higher BMI and UMA values, but there was no significant effect on the nutritional status of other adults in these same households. Signs of the nutrition transition were most noticeable among adult males involved in wage labor because of changes in their diet and activity patterns. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Urbanization is an important demographic phenomenon, and in Latin America it transformed the settlement pattern from rural to predominantly urban in less than 50 years. Understanding the biological consequences of this change in settlement pattern is an important challenge for human biologists. One approach to understanding the effects of urban environments on human biology has been to study rural-to-urban migrants. In Latin America this research has shown that 1) the fertility of migrants tends to be intermediate between that of rural and urban populations, and 2) migrants tend to suffer higher rates of mortality and morbidity, at least initially, than long-term urban residents. There is some indication that the actual physical conditions under which migrants live in urban areas-and these tend to be among the most impoverished-are more important variables than migrant status per se. Studying rural-to-urban migrants requires careful attention to a number of conceptual issues. One issue is the definition of rural and urban. These two types of settlements are no longer as distinct as they once were, and "urban" can mean very different things in different places. Another issue is the complexity of current migration patterns. The classic case of people moving from a distinctly rural setting to a distinctly urban one and staying there for the remainder of their lives is not the norm. Third, the urban environments of large cities are extraordinarily heterogeneous environments with enormous socioeconomic differentials in health. Hence, it matters where in the urban environment the migrants live.

Anthropometric dimensions were collected from 46 pregnant women living in Cali, Colombia to gain a better understanding of how poor, urban women deal with the demands of pregnancy and to identify relationships between maternal characteristics and infant birth weight. Height, weight, skinfold thicknesses (subscapular, suprailiac, thigh, calf, and triceps), and circumferences (hip, thigh, calf, and mid-upper arm) were measured on all women. Infant measurements were weight and length. The women were measured in the second and third trimesters, and a sub-sample (n = 16) was measured twice in the third trimester. Mean birth weight was 3,137.6 ± 488.5 g (n = 44), and mean length was 49.8 ± 3.0 cm. All but three of the infants were full-term, and the incidence of low birth weight (LBW) was 9%. The 46 women showed a significant increase in weight (P < 0.001); subscapular, suprailiac, and mid-thigh skinfold thicknesses (P ≤ 0.01) and in hip, thigh, and calf circumferences (P ≤ 0.01) between trimesters 2 and 3. Women who gave birth to both normal birth weight (NBW) and LBW infants showed significant increases in weight (P < 0.001 and P = 0.02, respectively), but only women who had NBW infants showed significant increases in the suprailiac skinfold and hip circumference (P < 0.001). In the third trimester, attained weight, skinfold thicknesses, and circumferences tended to be greater in women who had NBW infants. In general, this group of women gained less weight and had a greater incidence of LBW infants compared with women in developed countries, but changes in skinfold thicknesses over the course of pregnancy were similar compared with other studies. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 14:29–38, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

ObjectiveWomen (especially mothers) are theorized as critical to reducing household food insecurity through their work and caregiver roles. The present study tests these assumptions, assessing how maternal economic and social resources are associated with food insecurity in households with young children.DesignData from a population-based sample of households was collected in León, Nicaragua (n 443). Data include a newly validated measure of household food insecurity (ELCSA), maternal resource measures, and household economic status and demographics. Regression analysis tests the statistical associations (PSettingMunicipality of León, Nicaragua.SubjectsHouseholds with children aged 3–11 years in rural and urban León.ResultsOnly 25 % of households with young children were food secure, with 50 % mildly food insecure and 25 % moderately/severely food insecure. When mothers contributed substantially to household income, the odds of moderate/severe household food insecurity were 34 % lower than when their spouse/partner was the main provider. The odds of food insecurity were 60 % lower when mothers managed household money, 48 % lower when mothers had a secondary (v. primary) education, 65 % higher among single mothers and 16 % lower with each indicator of social support. Results were similar for adult- and child-specific food insecurity.ConclusionsThis research provides new evidence that maternal economic and social resources are important for reducing household food insecurity and adult- and child-specific food insecurity. Women’s social status, social support and access to economic resources need to be enhanced as a part of policies aimed to reduce food insecurity in high-poverty settings.

A pobreza mundial ocorre sobretudo em contextos rurais onde a dependência de fontes não monetárias de renda, como a partir de recursos naturais e da agricultura, é substancial. Entretanto, políticas voltadas à redução da pobreza usualmente centram-se na promoção do consumo e formação de renda monetária. Portanto, desconsideram a heterogeneidade dos modos de vida rurais, os quais combinam diferentes atividades e fontes de renda, incluindo o uso de recursos naturais. Dentre as iniciativas voltadas à redução da pobreza, destacaram-se nas últimas décadas os programas de transferência condicionada de renda (PTCR), como o Bolsa Família (PBF). Consistem em transferências periódicas de renda a famílias economicamente vulneráveis, condicionadas a certas ações do beneficiário. Evidências prévias mostram que ingressos monetários por meio de PTCR alteram o modo de vida e as atividades de subsistência de domicílios rurais. Tais estudos, contudo, não são consensuais e mostram tanto manutenção, quanto diminuição no envolvimento em práticas de subsistência e no consumo de alimentos provenientes dessas práticas, com efeitos diversos sobre a segurança alimentar. Além de poucos estudos terem investigado esses efeitos, aqueles que o fizeram concentraram-se na agricultura e negligenciaram práticas que envolvem a extração de recursos naturais (caça, coleta e pesca). Assim, este estudo teve por objetivos: (i) classificar e caracterizar os modos de vida rurais, identificando quais estavam associados ao uso mais frequente e à maior dependência de recursos florestais (Capítulo1) e (ii) avaliar se transferências do PBF promoveram alterações nas práticas de subsistência (i.e., intensificação/afastamento da agricultura, caça, pesca e coleta), no consumo de produtos provenientes dessas práticas e na segurança alimentar (Capítulo 2). O estudo foi desenvolvido na porção paulista do Vale do Ribeira, região caracterizada por grande parcela da população vivendo em áreas rurais, elevados níveis de pobreza e baixos indicadores de qualidade de vida. Após etapa qualitativa, realizamos um survey (entrevistas presenciais) em 262 domicílios rurais selecionados por amostragem multiestágio. No Capítulo 1, com base no diagrama conceitual de modos de vida sustentáveis e por meio de Análise de Cluster, identificamos seis modos de vida rurais. Por um lado, os resultados indicaram haver maior dependência e uso de produtos florestais (em termos absolutos) no modo de vida que concentrou os domicílios mais pobres. Por outro, o modo de vida que concentrou os domicílios mais ricos possuía maior renda monetária proveniente da venda de produtos florestais. No Capítulo 2, para avaliar a associação entre PBF e alterações em práticas de subsistência, consumo e segurança alimentar, adotamos o pareamento a posteriori por Escore de Propensão. Nossos resultados mostraram que o PBF não esteve associado a efeitos negativos nas práticas de subsistência e na diversidade de alimentos consumidos, tampouco estimulou o consumo de produtos ultraprocessados; portanto, não afetou a segurança alimentar pelos mecanismos previstos em nossa hipótese. Pelo contrário, constatamos que o PBF teve impacto positivo em certas atividades dos homens (caça e coleta) e sobre o consumo de alimentos provenientes das práticas de subsistência. Global poverty occurs mainly in rural contexts where the dependence on non-monetary sources of income, such as from natural resources and agriculture, is substantial. However, policies aimed at poverty alleviation often focus on the promotion of consumption and monetary income. Thus, they disregard the heterogeneity of rural livelihoods, which combine different activities and income sources, including the use of natural resources. Among the initiatives aimed at reducing poverty, Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs), such as Bolsa Família Program (BFP), have gained prominence in recent decades. CCTs consist of periodic income transfers to economically vulnerable families, conditional to certain beneficiary\'s actions. Previous evidence shows that greater exposure to the market through CCTs changes the livelihoods and subsistence activities of rural households. Such studies, however, are not consensual and show both the maintenance and decrease in involvement in subsistence practices and in the consumption of food obtained from these practices, with different effects on food security. Besides the fact that few studies have investigated these effects, those that have done so have focused primarily on agriculture whilst neglecting practices that involve the extraction of natural resources (hunting, gathering and fishing). Thus, this study aimed: (i) to classify and characterize rural livelihoods, identifying which ones were associated with more frequent use and greater dependence on forest resources (Chapter 1) and (ii) to assess whether BFP transfers promoted changes in subsistence practices (ie. intensification /abandonment of agriculture, hunting, fishing and gathering), consumption of products derived from these practices and food security (Chapter 2). The study was carried out in the São Paulo portion of Vale do Ribeira, a region characterized by a large share of the population living in rural areas, high levels of poverty and low levels of quality of life indicators. After a qualitative round, we conducted a survey (face-to-face interviews) in 262 rural households selected through multistage sampling. In Chapter 1, based on the conceptual framework of sustainable livelihoods and adopting Cluster Analysis, we identified six rural livelihoods. On the one hand, our results indicated that a greater dependence and use of forest products (in absolute terms) is more common on the livelihoods that concentrated the poorest households. On the other hand, the livelihood concentrating the wealthiest households had higher levels of monetary income from the sale of forest products. In Chapter 2, to assess the association between BFP and changes in subsistence practices, consumption and food security, we adopted Propensity Score Matching a posteriori. Our results showed that PBF was not associated with negative effects on subsistence practices and on the diversity of foods consumed, nor did it stimulate the consumption of ultra-processed products; therefore, it did not affect food security. On the contrary, we found that the PBF had a positive impact on certain activities of men (hunting and gathering) and on the consumption of food from subsistence practices.

As comunidades indígenas localizadas no de Atacama têm experimentado uma serie de mudanças nos padrões de consumo alimentar como consequência de aceleradas mudanças econômicas, sociais e culturais. Estas mudanças tem contribuído em um paulatino abandono das práticas tradicionais de produção de alimentos, assim como uma rápida incorporação de produtos industrializados na dieta atacamenha. No entanto, não existem estudos que diagnostiquem as mudanças nos padrões de dieta e seu possível impacto nas condições nutricionais dessas populações, em um contexto de mudanças consideráveis a nível local e mundial na dieta e nutrição. Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo identificar as mudanças das práticas alimentares ocorridas durante as últimas três gerações nas comunidades atacamenhas de Toconao e Talabre, assim como avaliar as mudanças no estado nutricional da população adulta nas últimas décadas nestas comunidades. A coleta de dados se realizou utilizando a conjugação de métodos qualitativos e quantitativos. No primeiro caso, foram realizadas entrevistas semi-estruturadas com as pessoas de maior idade de cada comunidade para nos aproximarmos às mudanças desde uma perspectiva local e histórica. Também foram realizadas listagens livres em três gerações para visualizar as preferencias alimentares geracionais. No segundo caso, foram coletadas medidas antropométricas de peso, estatura e Índice de Massa Corporal (IMC) registradas nas fichas clinicas do posto de saúde local, incluindo indivíduos adultos (entre 18 até 90 anos) das comunidades de Toconao e Talabre. Os resultados evidenciam drásticas diferencias no consumo de alimentos entre as três gerações dos atacamenhos de ambas as comunidades, com perda no consumo de alimentos tradicionais por parte das novas gerações devido à substituição de alimentos locais por alimentos forâneos na dieta atacamenha de Toconao e Talabre. Os dados nutricionais apresentam um aumento significativo da estatura ao longo das décadas como resultado de uma maior disponibilidade de alimentos processados e ultraprocessados. O relato histórico obtido das entrevistas semi-estruturadas permitiu uma compressão mais integral das aceleradas mudanças acontecidas nas últimas décadas na dieta e nutrição atacamenha das comunidades de Toconao e Talabre. A partir desta pesquisa se conclui que fatores econômicos e políticos tem contribuído a esta rápidas transformações nos sistemas de subsistência e, consequentemente, na dieta e nutrição destas comunidades indígenas Native communities from Atacama desert have experienced several changes in their dietary patterns as a consequence of fast economic, social and cultural changes. These changes have contributed in a gradual abandonment of traditional food production activities as well as rapid adoption of industrialized food in their diet. However, there are no studies that provide a diagnosis of these changes of the dietary patterns and their potential impact in the nutritional state of the aforementioned native communities in a context of considerable changes of local and worldwide diet and nutrition. Thus, the goals of this research are to identify the changes in the dietary patterns occurring during the last three generations of the Atacama communities of Toconao and Talabre, and to evaluate the changes of the nutritional state of the adult population at last decades of both communities. The data collection was done using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. In the first case, semi-structured interviews with the elderly of each community was performed in order to obtain an approximation to the dietary changes from a local and historical perspective. Additionally, free lists will be performed in people from three generations in order to visualize dietary preferences by generations. In the second case, antropometric measures of weight, height and body mass index was collected of the clinical records in the local heath center, including adults (between 18 to 90 years old) of the Toconao and Talabre communities. The results show drastic differences in food consumption between the three generations of both Atacama communities, with a loss in the consumption of traditional foods by the younger generations due to the substitution of local food for foreign food in the Atacama diet of Toconao and Talabre. From this research it is concluded that economic and political factors have contributed to this rapid change in subsistence systems and, consequently, in the diet and nutrition of these indigenous communities