Physical growth and nutritional status of Tsimane's Amerindian children of lowland Bolivia

Simple item page
cg.coverage.countryBolivia
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2BO
cg.coverage.regionSouthern America
cg.coverage.regionSouth America
cg.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.20098en
cg.identifier.projectIFPRI - Archive
cg.isijournalISI Journalen
cg.issn0002-9483en
cg.issn1096-8644en
cg.issue3en
cg.journalAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropologyen
cg.reviewStatusPeer Reviewen
cg.volume126en
dc.contributor.authorFoster, Z.en
dc.contributor.authorByron, Elizabethen
dc.contributor.authorReyes-Garcia, Victoriaen
dc.contributor.authorHuanca, Thomasen
dc.contributor.authorVadez, Vincenten
dc.contributor.authorApaza, Lilianen
dc.contributor.authorPerez Eddyen
dc.contributor.authorTanner, S.en
dc.contributor.authorGutierrez, Y.en
dc.contributor.authorSandstrom, B.en
dc.contributor.authorYakhedts, A.en
dc.contributor.authorOsborn, C.en
dc.contributor.authorGodoy, Ricardoen
dc.contributor.authorLeonard, William. R.en
dc.date.accessioned2025-01-29T12:59:45Zen
dc.date.available2025-01-29T12:59:45Zen
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/172306
dc.titlePhysical growth and nutritional status of Tsimane's Amerindian children of lowland Boliviaen
dcterms.abstractThis study examines patterns of growth and nutritional status of indigenous Tsimane' children under 9 years of age (n = 199 boys and 210 girls), based on a cross‐sectional sample from 58 villages from the Beni Deparment of lowland Bolivia. Compared with US children, Tsimane' children are quite short, with linear growth tracking at or below the US 5th centile in both sexes. The prevalence of low height‐for‐age (“stunting;” HA Z‐scores ≤−2) is 52% in boys and 43% in girls. In contrast, weight‐for‐height in Tsimane' children approximates the US median, with the prevalence of low weight‐for‐height (“wasting”; WH Z‐scores ≤−2) being only 4% and 6% in boys and girls, respectively. Tsimane' boys and girls are leaner than their US peers, but their levels of body fatness are not so low as to indicate severe energy stress. Arm muscularity of Tsimane' children is similar to that of their US age peers, and this suggests that they are not experiencing acute protein malnutrition. Variation in measures of nutritional status of Tsimane' children is modestly correlated with village‐level differences. Degree of isolation, as measured by distance to urban centers or to primary forest, was not a strong predictor of children's anthropometric status. Rather, in both boys and girls, nutritional status was most strongly associated with number of teachers in the village, a measure of access to education. Comparative analyses indicate that high levels of statural growth stunting are common among indigenous populations throughout lowland South America. This problem appears to be largely attributable to poor dietary quality (diets low in key micronutrients) and high disease loads. Further research is needed to identify the specific causes and potential interventions for the high rates of childhood growth stunting in this region. Am J Phys Anthropol 126:343–351, 2005. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.en
dcterms.accessRightsLimited Access
dcterms.available2004-06-30
dcterms.bibliographicCitationFoster, Z.; Byron, Elizabeth; Reyes-Garcia, Victoria; Huanca, Thomas; Vadez, Vincent; Apaza, Lilian; Perez Eddy; Tanner, S.; Gutierrez, Y.; Sandstrom, B.; Yakhedts, A.; Osborn, C.; Godoy, Ricardo; Leonard, William. R. 2005. Physical growth and nutritional status of Tsimane's Amerindian children of lowland Bolivia. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 126(3): 343-351. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.20098en
dcterms.extentpp. 343-351en
dcterms.issued2005-03
dcterms.languageen
dcterms.licenseCopyrighted; all rights reserved
dcterms.publisherWileyen
dcterms.replaceshttps://ebrary.ifpri.org/digital/collection/p15738coll5/id/1510en
dcterms.subjectnutritionen
dcterms.subjectgrowthen
dcterms.subjectchildrenen
dcterms.typeJournal Article

Files

Collections

IFPRI Journal Articles