Dietary change and adolescent growth among the Bundi (Gende-speaking) people of Papua New Guinea.

Format:

Book

Thesis/Dissertation

Author/Creator:

Zemel, Babette Sharon.

Contributor:

Johnston, Francis, advisor.

Katz, A. Salamon, advisor.

University of Pennsylvania.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Physical anthropology.

0327.

Penn dissertations--Anthropology.

Anthropology--Penn dissertations.

Local Subjects:

Penn dissertations--Anthropology.

Anthropology--Penn dissertations.

0327.

Physical Description:

171 pages

Contained In:

Dissertation Abstracts International 51-01A.

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

text file

Summary:

The plasticity of human growth has enabled us to survive under a variety of conditions. In this study, the relationships between nutritional stress, adolescent growth and endocrine development are examined in order to explore the physiological mechanisms that underlie this aspect of human plasticity.

The Bundi are known for slow growth, delayed sexual maturation, and small adult body size due to undernutrition. The present study builds upon a nutrition survey of the Bundi in 1966-67. Dietary changes over eighteen years are characterized by increased consumption of store-bought foods more concentrated in fat and protein. Similarly, growth status has improved overall, the age of the adolescent growth spurt has decreased, and menarcheal age has decreased from 18.0 to 17.2 years among rural girls. Despite these changes, adolescents are small, below the NCHS 5th percentile for height and weight, and delayed in age at maturation. Patterns of adrenal and gonadal androgen secretion, as indicated by testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels, suggest that rural Bundi are delayed in endocrine development by at least two to three years. Furthermore, these data suggest that relative to gonadal maturation, Bundi adolescents are delayed in adrenal androgen development. Urban youths, who consume more store-bought foods, grow and mature at a faster pace than rural Bundi. Relative to maturation status, rural Bundi are particularly delayed in adrenal androgen secretion, when compared to urban youths.

This study shows the importance of the rate of growth and maturation in adolescence as an indicator of nutritional status, since body size during adolescence reflects prior nutritional stress and hereditary factors. Sex differences in the secular growth changes suggest that body size may be more ecosensitive in males, and maturation rate more sensitive in females. Furthermore, these results suggest that adrenal androgens have subtle but significant effects in regulating growth and maturation in response to nutritional intakes. The control of adrenal androgen secretion may be one of the mediating factors in the plasticity of human growth.

Notes:

Thesis (Ph.D. in Anthropology) -- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, 1989.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-01, Section: A, page: 0209.

Supervisors: Solomon Katz; Francis Johnston.

Local Notes:

School code: 0175.

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.