M. Fujita, K. Wander, B. Straight, G. Wamwere-Njoroge
{"title":"母乳的双重行为-生理缓冲促进了肯尼亚北部牧民和农牧民的干旱适应性","authors":"M. Fujita, K. Wander, B. Straight, G. Wamwere-Njoroge","doi":"10.1002/ajhb.70057","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div>\n \n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Background</h3>\n \n <p>Mothers physiologically buffer key milk nutrient content against nutritional stress. How this is nested in upstream behavioral buffering is not well understood.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Objectives</h3>\n \n <p>The study explored whether pastoralists and agropastoralists' economic or other behavioral coping strategies against droughts, such as livestock sales and child fosterage, influence maternal risk for malnutrition or milk nutrient content.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Methods</h3>\n \n <p>Using data from 221 breastfeeding mothers in drought-stricken northern Kenya, we estimated generalized structural equation models to evaluate pathways linking behavioral coping variables to maternal malnutrition—underweight, vitamin A deficiency (VAD), and folate deficiency (hyperhomocysteinemia)—and to milk energy, retinol, and folate content directly or mediated by maternal malnutrition. Predictors of interest included land size, proportion of cattle/goat herds sold, children fostered/adopted out, and children living at home. Akaike Information Criterion guided model fit assessment.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Results</h3>\n \n <p>Land size was positively associated with maternal underweight and VAD. Child fosterage and cattle sold were inversely associated with underweight, while child fosterage and goats/sheep sold were positively associated with hyperhomocysteinemia. Children living at home were inversely associated with VAD, particularly with larger land size, and positively associated with milk retinol. Milk folate was positively associated with hyperhomocysteinemia.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Conclusions</h3>\n \n <p>Behavioral buffering strategies, such as fostering out children, offer incomplete protection against maternal malnutrition. The lack of effects of investigated behavioral buffering strategies on milk variables suggests physiological buffering closes the gap left by incomplete behavioral buffering. Dual behavioral-physiological buffering facilitates the drought adaptability of agropastoralists, yet heavy reliance on physiological buffering for micronutrients suggests high maternal cost.</p>\n </section>\n </div>","PeriodicalId":50809,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Human Biology","volume":"37 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ajhb.70057","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Dual Behavioral–Physiological Buffering of Mothers' Milk Facilitates Drought Adaptability of Pastoralists and Agropastoralists in Northern Kenya\",\"authors\":\"M. Fujita, K. Wander, B. Straight, G. Wamwere-Njoroge\",\"doi\":\"10.1002/ajhb.70057\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<div>\\n \\n \\n <section>\\n \\n <h3> Background</h3>\\n \\n <p>Mothers physiologically buffer key milk nutrient content against nutritional stress. How this is nested in upstream behavioral buffering is not well understood.</p>\\n </section>\\n \\n <section>\\n \\n <h3> Objectives</h3>\\n \\n <p>The study explored whether pastoralists and agropastoralists' economic or other behavioral coping strategies against droughts, such as livestock sales and child fosterage, influence maternal risk for malnutrition or milk nutrient content.</p>\\n </section>\\n \\n <section>\\n \\n <h3> Methods</h3>\\n \\n <p>Using data from 221 breastfeeding mothers in drought-stricken northern Kenya, we estimated generalized structural equation models to evaluate pathways linking behavioral coping variables to maternal malnutrition—underweight, vitamin A deficiency (VAD), and folate deficiency (hyperhomocysteinemia)—and to milk energy, retinol, and folate content directly or mediated by maternal malnutrition. Predictors of interest included land size, proportion of cattle/goat herds sold, children fostered/adopted out, and children living at home. Akaike Information Criterion guided model fit assessment.</p>\\n </section>\\n \\n <section>\\n \\n <h3> Results</h3>\\n \\n <p>Land size was positively associated with maternal underweight and VAD. Child fosterage and cattle sold were inversely associated with underweight, while child fosterage and goats/sheep sold were positively associated with hyperhomocysteinemia. Children living at home were inversely associated with VAD, particularly with larger land size, and positively associated with milk retinol. Milk folate was positively associated with hyperhomocysteinemia.</p>\\n </section>\\n \\n <section>\\n \\n <h3> Conclusions</h3>\\n \\n <p>Behavioral buffering strategies, such as fostering out children, offer incomplete protection against maternal malnutrition. The lack of effects of investigated behavioral buffering strategies on milk variables suggests physiological buffering closes the gap left by incomplete behavioral buffering. 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Dual Behavioral–Physiological Buffering of Mothers' Milk Facilitates Drought Adaptability of Pastoralists and Agropastoralists in Northern Kenya
Background
Mothers physiologically buffer key milk nutrient content against nutritional stress. How this is nested in upstream behavioral buffering is not well understood.
Objectives
The study explored whether pastoralists and agropastoralists' economic or other behavioral coping strategies against droughts, such as livestock sales and child fosterage, influence maternal risk for malnutrition or milk nutrient content.
Methods
Using data from 221 breastfeeding mothers in drought-stricken northern Kenya, we estimated generalized structural equation models to evaluate pathways linking behavioral coping variables to maternal malnutrition—underweight, vitamin A deficiency (VAD), and folate deficiency (hyperhomocysteinemia)—and to milk energy, retinol, and folate content directly or mediated by maternal malnutrition. Predictors of interest included land size, proportion of cattle/goat herds sold, children fostered/adopted out, and children living at home. Akaike Information Criterion guided model fit assessment.
Results
Land size was positively associated with maternal underweight and VAD. Child fosterage and cattle sold were inversely associated with underweight, while child fosterage and goats/sheep sold were positively associated with hyperhomocysteinemia. Children living at home were inversely associated with VAD, particularly with larger land size, and positively associated with milk retinol. Milk folate was positively associated with hyperhomocysteinemia.
Conclusions
Behavioral buffering strategies, such as fostering out children, offer incomplete protection against maternal malnutrition. The lack of effects of investigated behavioral buffering strategies on milk variables suggests physiological buffering closes the gap left by incomplete behavioral buffering. Dual behavioral-physiological buffering facilitates the drought adaptability of agropastoralists, yet heavy reliance on physiological buffering for micronutrients suggests high maternal cost.
期刊介绍:
The American Journal of Human Biology is the Official Journal of the Human Biology Association.
The American Journal of Human Biology is a bimonthly, peer-reviewed, internationally circulated journal that publishes reports of original research, theoretical articles and timely reviews, and brief communications in the interdisciplinary field of human biology. As the official journal of the Human Biology Association, the Journal also publishes abstracts of research presented at its annual scientific meeting and book reviews relevant to the field.
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Like many other biologically oriented disciplines, the field of human biology has undergone considerable growth and diversification in recent years, and the expansion of the aims and scope of the Journal is a reflection of this growth and membership diversification.
The Journal is committed to prompt review, and priority publication is given to manuscripts with novel or timely findings, and to manuscripts of unusual interest.