Evolutionary Anthropology Faculty Database
Evolutionary Anthropology
Arts & Sciences
Duke University

 HOME > Arts & Sciences > BAA > Faculty    Search Help Login pdf version printable version 
Evaluations

Publications [#368054] of Herman Pontzer

search PubMed.

Journal Articles

  1. Swanson, ZS; Nzunza, R; Bethancourt, HJ; Saunders, J; Mutindwa, F; Ndiema, E; Braun, DR; Rosinger, AY; Pontzer, H, Early childhood growth in Daasanach pastoralists of Northern Kenya: Distinct patterns of faltering in linear growth and weight gain., American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council, vol. 35 no. 4 (April, 2023), pp. e23842 [doi]
    (last updated on 2024/03/28)

    Abstract:

    Objectives

    Investigations of early childhood growth among small-scale populations are essential for understanding human life history variation and enhancing the ability to serve such communities through global public health initiatives. This study characterizes early childhood growth trajectories and identifies differences in growth patterns relative to international references among Daasanach semi-nomadic pastoralist children living in a hot, arid region of northern Kenya.

    Methods

    A large sample of height and weight measures were collected from children (N = 1756; total observations = 4508; age = 0-5 years) between 2018 and 2020. Daasanach growth was compared to international reference standards and Daasanach-specific centile growth curves and pseudo-velocity models were generated using generalized additive models for location scale and size.

    Results

    Compared to World Health Organization (WHO) reference, relatively few Daasanach children were stunted (14.3%), while a large proportion were underweight (38.5%) and wasted (53.6%). Additionally, Daasanach children had a distinctive pattern of growth, marked by an increase in linear growth velocity after 24 months of age and relatively high linear growth velocity throughout the rest of early childhood.

    Conclusions

    These results identify a unique pattern of early childhood growth faltering among children in a small-scale population and may reflect a thermoregulatory adaptation to their hot, arid environment. As linear growth and weight gain remain important indicators of health, the results of this study provide insight into growth velocity variations. This study has important implications for global public health efforts to identify and address sources of early growth faltering and undernutrition in small-scale populations.

Duke University * Arts & Sciences * BAA * Faculty All * Postdoc Staff * Non-PHD Staff * Staff * Grads * Reload * Login