American Journal of Human Biology最新文献

{"title":"Sedentarization and Child Health: A Case Study of the Nutritional Status of Children Under 5 Years Old in the Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia","authors":"Sarai M. Keestra,&nbsp;Bereket Yohannes Kabalo,&nbsp;Ehsan Kharati Koopaei,&nbsp;Lucie Buffavand,&nbsp;Tsegaye Demissie Gemebo,&nbsp;Yalew Ayele,&nbsp;Edward G. J. Stevenson","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70154","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajhb.70154","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study evaluates differences in the nutritional status of children under 5 years old among the Bodi (Mela) of southwest Ethiopia, in the context of a sedentarization program which involved resettlement of pastoralist families in government-designed villages (villagization sites).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Data were collected in 2013 from two settings: state-run villagization sites (Hana), where families were forcibly resettled 6–18 months earlier to farm and receive food aid, and comparison communities in cattle camps (Gura). Families with at least one child under 5 years old were recruited. Household characteristics, disease incidence, infant feeding practices, and anthropometric measurements (weight, height, mid-upper arm circumference, triceps skinfold, and head circumference) were recorded. Age-adjusted <i>z</i>-scores were calculated and compared between sites. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from Emory University, Wolaita Sodo University, and the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's Region Health Bureau.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A total of 106 children from 75 families participated (40 in Hana, 35 in Gura). Nearly one-third of the children were stunted (31.5%) or underweight (27.4%), while 7.6% were wasted. Anthropometric measurements did not differ significantly between the two sites; however, in a sex-stratified analysis, boys in the villagization site had higher weight-for-height but lower triceps skinfold-for-age than those in the comparison site. No significant difference in the proportion wasted was observed. Families in Hana were less likely to report their child having consumed animal milk in the past 24 h and more likely to report a case of diarrhea in the past month.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Approximately 1 year after sedentarization, there was no consistent pattern of change in nutritional status among children in resettled families compared to those in pastoralist families.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajhb.70154","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145253673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Embedding Multilevel and Dynamic Systems Approaches in Anthropological Causal Inference: Commentary on Watson et al. (2025)","authors":"Schawanya K. Rattanapitoon,&nbsp;Nav La,&nbsp;Thawatchai Eaksanti,&nbsp;Nathkapach K. Rattanapitoon","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70157","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajhb.70157","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145253602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Excess Body Fat and Associated Factors in 7- to 10-Year-Old Schoolchildren in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil: Trend Analysis of Four Cross-Sectional Surveys, 2002–2019","authors":"Francisca Maria Carvalho Nascimento,&nbsp;Patrícia de Fragas Hinnig,&nbsp;Mayara Luiza Vermohlem Garcia,&nbsp;Francisco de Assis Guedes de Vasconcelos,&nbsp;Cristine Garcia Gabriel","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70141","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajhb.70141","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study aimed to assess the trend and factors associated with body fat percentage in 7- to 10-year-old schoolchildren in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil, from 2002 to 2019.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This is a trend analysis of four cross-sectional surveys involving 6597 schoolchildren attending public and private schools. Body fat percentage (outcome variable) was calculated from triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses using Lohman equations and categorized into “no excess body fat” and “excess body fat.” Sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics were also investigated. Trends and associated factors were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The prevalence of excess body fat was 22.6%, 25.5%, 37.5%, and 33.6% in 2002, 2007, 2013, and 2019, respectively, representing a 48.6% increase from 2002 to 2019. Schoolchildren assessed in 2013 (OR = 1.93) and 2019 (OR = 1.69), as well as those who were male (OR = 1.0) or older (9–10 years) (OR = 1.60), were more likely to have excess body fat.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The increasing trends of body fat percentage and excess body fat in 7- to 10-year-old schoolchildren from 2002 to 2019 underscore the need for targeted strategies to address the growing rates of childhood obesity, with particular attention to high-risk groups.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12501919/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145240308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"When and Why Do Sex Differences in Handgrip Strength Emerge? Age-Varying Effects of Testosterone From Childhood to Older Adulthood","authors":"Jun Seob Song,&nbsp;Heontae Kim,&nbsp;Myungjin Jung","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70155","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajhb.70155","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>On average, males are stronger than females, with hormonal changes during puberty often cited as a contributing factor to this advantage. However, not all evidence consistently supports this explanation. The purpose of this study was to determine (1) when sex differences in handgrip strength and testosterone emerge, and (2) whether testosterone mediates the sex difference in handgrip strength and if this effect varies across age.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Time-varying effect modeling (TVEM) was used to examine age-specific trajectories of handgrip strength and testosterone, and to assess whether these trajectories differed by sex. A moderated mediation analysis was conducted to test whether the sex difference in handgrip strength was mediated by testosterone level, and whether this effect varied across age. Data were drawn from the 2011–2012 and 2013–2014 cycles (<i>N</i> = 11,035) of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>TVEM indicated that the sex difference in handgrip strength emerged at age 8, whereas the sex difference in testosterone level became evident at age 10. A moderated mediation analysis revealed that testosterone mediated the association between sex and handgrip strength, and this effect decreased with age (IMM = −0.18, 95% CI: −0.20, −0.16).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Sex difference in handgrip strength appears to be driven, in part, by the testosterone levels. However, this difference can be observed even before the onset of puberty, which suggests that testosterone alone does not fully explain the sex difference in muscle strength. This finding may have important implications for decisions regarding inclusivity and fairness in sports that emphasize strength.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145233982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Body Size and Risk of Death During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic in Alaska","authors":"Taylor P. van Doren,&nbsp;Lauren E. Steele,&nbsp;Emma Tinker-Fortel,&nbsp;Lisa Sattenspiel","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70151","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.70151","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In the aftermath of the 2009 H1N1 influenza A pandemic, research revealed the relationship between body size and the severity of influenza outcomes. However, there is little data available on body size in historical populations; therefore, the relationship between body size and 1918 influenza pandemic outcomes is virtually unknown. Alaskan death records from the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics with recorded height and mass at death (<i>n</i> = 2724) were analyzed to illuminate this relationship during both the pandemic (1918–20) and a non-pandemic period (1917, 1921–25). Binomial logistic regression models were fit to predict the likelihood of a P&amp;I death against four other major causes of death, first using only BMI as a predictor, then controlling for demographic variables. BMI alone can predict the probability of P&amp;I death, but only during the pandemic period (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). BMI (ORs = 0.90–1.51), all regions (ORs = 2.08–9.17), age (OR = 0.98), sex (male: OR = 0.66–0.75), and ethnicity group (non-Alaska Native: OR = 0.36–0.37) significantly predicted the likelihood of a P&amp;I death during the pandemic. The results suggest that as BMI increases, the risk of P&amp;I death also increases with additional predictors, but only during the 1918 influenza pandemic period. There is no significant relationship between BMI and P&amp;I death outside of pandemic years. This result may contribute an additional unique feature to our understanding of the 1918 influenza pandemic and its epidemiological novelty. This research further contributes new data on historical population biology and contextualizes results within the framework of developmental origins of health and disease for ultimate explanations of differential risks between Alaska Native and settler populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajhb.70151","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145196481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Doing Science With Our Grandmother's WISDOM: A Worldview Integrating Sociality, Diversity, and Observant Meaning-Making","authors":"Rana Dajani,&nbsp;Delaney Glass,&nbsp;Agustin Fuentes","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70138","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ajhb.70138","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The contemporary moment is defined and marred by geopolitical sorrow-with genocide in Gaza, and wars in Sudan and Ukraine to mention some-devastating the lives of millions of people. The resulting geopolitical, ecological, communal, and personal devastation will last for generations in concrete and substantive ways, as the legacy of war and genocide stays with those who survive. In this perspective, we highlight an example of this by discussing new lines of evidence for intergenerational epigenetic transmission of sustained, war-related trauma. Here we articulate a novel frame labeled WISDOM: a Worldview Integrating Sociality, Diversity, and Observant Meaning-making. This framing aims to facilitate rigorous science in the relatively uncharted domains of biocultural approaches to intergenerational trauma, survival, and resilience. WISDOM is a perspective with practical components, focused primarily on trauma but applicable to other foci at the confluence of biological and social sciences.</p>","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajhb.70138","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145193952","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic Variability of Roma Population in Serbia: The Perspective From Uniparentally Inherited Markers","authors":"Vanja Tanasic,&nbsp;Marija Vukovic,&nbsp;Milica Mihajlovic Srejic,&nbsp;Miljana Kecmanovic,&nbsp;Milica Keckarevic Markovic,&nbsp;Dusan Keckarevic","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70152","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.70152","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The Roma represent a widespread ethnic minority in Europe that has a unique genetic ancestry shaped by a string of population bottlenecks, differential gene flow from/to the general population, and founder effects during their migrations. This study aimed to further characterize the diversity of the Roma population in Serbia and assess the substructuring within the population from the perspective of the mtDNA and Y chromosome. The control region of the mtDNA of 269 samples was sequenced, and 27 Y-STRs and 22 Y-SNPs were analyzed in 165 male samples. We classified samples in concordance with the previously published study on Serbian Roma, based on the geographical region of origin and religious affiliation, and evaluated their genetic relationships with Roma and general populations from the countries throughout their migrational route. Despite the dominance of the ancestral lineages in the paternal genetic pool, a higher diversity was noted in the mtDNA pool. Signals of bidirectional local male gene flow were shown by the presence of the haplogroup H-M2972 among the Serbian population and the high frequency of the I-L621 lineage among Roma. Our results highlight intrapopulation substructuring reflected in different proportions of South Asian and heterogeneity of West Eurasian lineages in both markers across different geographical and religious Roma groups. Asymmetrical gene flow was observed within all Roma subpopulations, while the male-biased gene flow was observed only within the predominantly Orthodox group from the central region of Serbia. Our data reveal the diversity of both uniparental pools of Serbian Roma and emphasize the role of religious affiliation in patterns of admixture with the general population.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145197201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neandertal Cold Adaptation: Technological, Anatomical, and Physiological Responses to Cold Stress in One of Our Closest Fossil Relatives","authors":"Trenton W. Holliday,&nbsp;Cara Ocobock,&nbsp;Libby W. Cowgill,&nbsp;Scott D. Maddux","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70150","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.70150","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Neandertals occupied western Eurasia for over 100 000 years, repeatedly enduring climates that ranged from seasonally cold to glacial. This paper reexamines the question of Neandertal cold adaptation using updated fossil, physiological, and archaeological evidence. While some populations lived outside glacial extremes, all faced periodic cold stress, and their survival depended on a diverse set of strategies. Technological buffers, including fire use, hide processing tools, and possible clothing and footwear, likely played a primary role in reducing cold exposure. Anatomically, Neandertals exhibit high body mass, broad trunks, and abbreviated limbs, consistent with thermoregulatory principles. The Neandertal nasal region, long considered paradoxical, now appears well suited to cold-dry air-conditioning; computational fluid dynamics and new endoscopic data support a functionally integrated nasal cavity with substantial internal surface area. Physiological adaptations remain inferential but plausible, including elevated basal metabolism, energy-dense diets, and potential use of brown adipose tissue. These factors likely contributed to high total energy expenditures, enabling thermoregulation in demanding environments. Rather than a single trait or “signature” adaptation, Neandertals present an integrated response to cold stress shaped by geography, development, culture, and genetics. This holistic view reframes Neandertal biology as deeply thermally engaged and sets the stage for targeted tests of function and mechanism in future research.</p>","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajhb.70150","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145197338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Commentary: The Life-Long Importance of Nutrition in the First 1000 Days","authors":"Reynaldo Martorell","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70137","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.70137","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145146764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Toward New Directions in Human Biology: A Roadmap for Anthropological Causal Inference With Observational Data","authors":"Elijah J. Watson,&nbsp;Delaney J. Glass,&nbsp;Lucia C. Petito","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70149","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.70149","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Human biologists seek to understand how cultural, environmental, and biological forces shape observed patterns of human variation. Yet contemporary insights and approaches to observational causal inference remain underutilized in the field. We outline a structured but flexible roadmap for causal inference in human biology that begins with theory development, defines causal questions and estimands, employs directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) to clarify assumptions, and evaluates key identification criteria prior to statistical analysis. We position this framework within a spectrum of causal inference traditions, spanning from interventionist approaches rooted in well-defined, manipulable exposures to realized approaches that engage historically situated and ecologically embedded phenomena. Rather than offering a prescriptive checklist, we frame this toolkit as an opening: a step toward anthropological causal inference that integrates transparency, theoretical and methodological coherence, and the epistemological commitments of the biocultural synthesis in human biology and anthropology.</p>","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajhb.70149","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145111180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}