Back to Search
Start Over
Physical growth of the shuar: Height, Weight, and BMI references for an indigenous amazonian population
- Source :
- American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council, vol 28, iss 1, Urlacher, SS; Blackwell, AD; Liebert, MA; Madimenos, FC; Cepon-Robins, TJ; Gildner, TE; et al.(2016). Physical growth of the shuar: Height, Weight, and BMI references for an indigenous amazonian population. American Journal of Human Biology, 28(1), 16-30. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.22747. UC Santa Barbara: Retrieved from: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/5cc9037f
- Publication Year :
- 2016
- Publisher :
- eScholarship, University of California, 2016.
-
Abstract
- © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Objectives: Information concerning physical growth among small-scale populations remains limited, yet such data are critical to local health efforts and to foster basic understandings of human life history and variation in childhood development. Using a large dataset and robust modeling methods, this study aims to describe growth from birth to adulthood among the indigenous Shuar of Amazonian Ecuador. Methods: Mixed-longitudinal measures of height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) were collected from Shuar participants (n = 2,463; age: 0-29 years). Centile growth curves and tables were created for each anthropometric variable of interest using Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale, and Shape (GAMLSS). Pseudo-velocity and Lambda-Mu-Sigma curves were generated to further investigate Shuar patterns of growth and to facilitate comparison with United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention and multinational World Health Organization growth references. Results: The Shuar are small throughout life and exhibit complex patterns of growth that differ substantially from those of international references. Similar to other Amazonians, Shuar growth in weight compares more favorably to references than growth in height, resulting in BMI curves that approximate international medians. Several additional characteristics of Shuar development are noteworthy, including large observed variation in body size early in life, significant infant growth faltering, extended male growth into adulthood, and a markedly early female pubertal growth spurt in height. Phenotypic plasticity and genetic selection in response to local environmental factors may explain many of these patterns. Conclusions: Providing a detailed reference of growth for the Shuar and other Amazonian populations, this study possesses direct clinical application and affords valuable insight into childhood health and the ecology of human growth.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
Adolescent
Article
Body Mass Index
Young Adult
Indians
Reference Values
Humans
South American
Obesity
Child
Preschool
Nutrition
Pediatric
Evolutionary Biology
Nutrition and Dietetics
Indians, South American
Prevention
Body Weight
Infant, Newborn
Infant
Newborn
Body Height
Child, Preschool
Anthropology
Female
Ecuador
Generic health relevance
Subjects
Details
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council, vol 28, iss 1, Urlacher, SS; Blackwell, AD; Liebert, MA; Madimenos, FC; Cepon-Robins, TJ; Gildner, TE; et al.(2016). Physical growth of the shuar: Height, Weight, and BMI references for an indigenous amazonian population. American Journal of Human Biology, 28(1), 16-30. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.22747. UC Santa Barbara: Retrieved from: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/5cc9037f
- Accession number :
- edsair.pmid.dedup....8097569880bc490d181f5a2559a77f8b