Anthropometry in Tarahumara Indian women of reproductive age in northern Mexico: Is overweight becoming a problem?

Abstract

Recent studies point to an increasing prevalence of obesity and its consequences among American Indians. This study was conducted to assess whether overweight may constitute a problem among adolescent and adult women in one of the most isolated ethnic groups in North America. A population-based sample of 459 Tarahumara women was taken from Guachochi Municipality in northern Mexico. A BMI 30 kg/m 2 was found in 16.9% of women aged 25-49 years old. A BMI-for-age 85th percentile was found in 14.3% and 16.8% of women aged 12-17 and 18-24 years respectively. Very few women had a BMI < 18.5 while a normal BMI (18.5-24.9) was present in 50.3% of women living in communities with < 100 inhabitants but only 35.5% of those living in localities with 100 inhabitants. Literacy and bilingualism were positively associated with overweight. Overweight does appear to be a problem of increasing public health significance, particularly where "Mestizo" influence is likely to growing. Systematic efforts to prevent obesity are needed.

Nutritional status of indigenous children at boarding schools in northern Mexico

“…However, a previous study showed a 0.7% prevalence in Tarahumara children aged o5 y (Monárrez & Martínez, 2000). On the other hand, the prevalence of BMI-for-age 485th percentile in those aged 10-14 y (5.7%) was half of that reported for rural children at the national level (Rivera-Dommarco et al, 2001), and one-third of the prevalence for Tarahumara girls aged 12-17 y (Monárrez-Espino & Greiner, 2000). While one may be tempted to attribute these differences to nutritional and socioeconomical discrepancies between the Tarahumara and the rest of the rural areas in the country, at least partly it may be due to the difficulties in comparing school-and population-based studies.…”

“…In an earlier study, the prevalence of wasting in Tarahumara children aged 1-2 y reached 10.3%, but dropped to o1% at higher ages (Monárrez & Martínez, 2000). Another survey also showed a low prevalence of underweight (1.4%) in Tarahumara girls aged 12-17 y (Monárrez-Espino & Greiner, 2000).…”

“…In contrast, in the survey of Tarahumara preschool children, stunting increased from 11.4% during the first 6 months of life to 64% at the age of 2 y, persisting at about that level up to the age of 5 y (Monárrez & Martínez, 2000). (2) 11.1 (5) 4.4 (2) 6.7 (3) Girls 66.6 (36) 7.4 (4) 11.1 (6) 1.9 (1) 13.0 (7) Age (y) 6-8 70.6 (24) 5.9 (2) 14.7 (5) 2.9 (1) 5.9 (2) 9-11 68.3 (28) 4.9 (2) 9.8 (4) 4.9 (2) 12.2 (5) 12-14 70.8 ( The survey with Tarahumara women also showed a high prevalence of stunting (47.2%) in girls aged 12-17 y (Monárrez-Espino & Greiner, 2000). Nutritional stunting reflects long-term cumulative effects of socioeconomic, health and nutrition inadequacies, and therefore cannot change from a prevalence of 460% in 4-5 y olds to o25% in 6-7 y olds.…”

Adecuación de la dieta servida a escolares en albergues indigenistas de la Sierra Tarahumara, México

“…A esto se suma la ausencia de alimentos de uso tradicional rarámuri en la dieta servida como el quelite, el pinole, el nopal y la calabaza. 20,21 Lo anterior es preocupante pues existe evidencia de que las mujeres tarahumaras de edad fértil (12-49 años) que hablan español (que muchas han aprendido en estas escuelas-albergue) tienen una mayor prevalencia de sobrepeso/obesidad si se compara con las que sólo hablan rarámuri (59.3 vs. 37.1%; p=0.003), 22 que tienden a preferir bebidas y alimentos mestizos antes que indí-genas, y que asocian la imagen corporal obesa (IMC ≥32 kg/m 2 ) con símbolos de belleza, salud y fertilidad. 21 Llama la atención que el número total de alimentos utilizados, y los empleados más de tres veces a la semana, fuese consistentemente mayor en el albergue tradicional, lo que sugiere una pobre estandarización de las dietas servidas entre albergues; además se observó un decremento progresivo de la semana inicial a la final en ambos albergues, lo que parece asociarse a la entrega de alimentos.…”

Perception of Food and Body Shape as Dimensions of Western Acculturation Potentially Linked to Overweight in Tarahumara Women of Mexico

“…Although this group has a high prevalence of infant malnutrition (Monárrez and Martínez, 2000), a recent nutritional survey found that 52.8% of adult Tarahumara women were overweight or obese (body mass index (BMI) > 25 kg/m 2 ) (Monárrez-Espino and Greiner, 2000).…”