Birth seasons and heights among girls and boys below 12 years of age: lasting effects and catch-up growth among native Amazonians in Bolivia

Brabec, Marek; Behrman, Jere R.; Emmett, Susan D.; Gibson, Edward; Kidd, Celeste; Leonard, William R.; Penny, Mary E.; Piantadosi, Steven T.; Sharma, Abhishek; Tanner, Susan; Undurraga, Eduardo A.; Godoy, Ricardo

doi:10.1080/03014460.2018.1490453

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 114 publications

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“…We examined WHO- and Tsimane-derived z-scores in association with several locally relevant static and age-related independent variables expected to influence growth outcomes. Factors expected to be associated with poorer growth outcomes included shorter interbirth intervals and higher parity [39–41], remote village residence or rainy season birth [42–45] greater number of household dependents under the age of five [46], and relatively early complementary feeding introduction (0–3 months) or weaning [47,48] (see S1 Text for extended discussion of selected variables). We first constructed a baseline linear mixed-effects model consisting of child ID as a random effect, and child sex, age (in months), and maternal height as fixed effects.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differences in Tsimane children’s growth outcomes and associated determinants as estimated by WHO standards vs. within-population references

et al. 2019

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Anthropometric measures are commonly converted to age stratified z-scores to examine variation in growth outcomes in mixed-age and sex samples. For many study populations, z-scores will differ if calculated from World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards or within-population references. The specific growth reference used may influence statistical estimates of growth outcomes and their determinants, with implications for biological inference. We examined factors associated with growth outcomes in a sample of 152 Tsimane children aged 0–36 months. The Tsimane are a subsistence-scale population in the Bolivian Amazon with high rates of infectious disease and growth faltering. To examine the influence of growth reference on statistical inferences, we constructed multiple plausible models from available infant, maternal, and household attributes. We then ran identical models for height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-age (WAZ), and weight-for-height (WHZ), with z-scores alternately calculated from WHO and robust Tsimane Lambda-Mu-Sigma growth curves. The distribution of WHO relative to Tsimane HAZ scores was negatively skewed, reflecting age-related increases in lower HAZ. Standardized coefficients and significance levels generally agreed across WHO and Tsimane models, although the strength and significance of specific terms varied in some models. Age was strongly, negatively associated with HAZ and WAZ in nearly all WHO, but not Tsimane models, resulting in consistently higher R 2 estimates. Age and weaning effects were confounded in WHO models. Biased estimates of determinants associated with WHO HAZ may be more extreme in small samples and for variables that are strongly age-patterned. Additional methodological considerations may be warranted when applying WHO standards to within-population studies, particularly for populations with growth patterns known to systematically deviate from those of the WHO reference sample.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differences in Tsimane children’s growth outcomes and associated determinants as estimated by WHO standards vs. within-population references

et al. 2019

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“…The percentage of moderate stunting is higher for boys than girls. That is consistent with the findings in previous literature suggesting that the human biology of boys is more sensitive to environmental stresses in utero and early life than the human biology of girls (Brabec et al ., 2018). For the children in the 2000 Demographic and Health Survey of Sri Lanka for example, stunting rates among those 3–5 months of age were higher for boys than girls, but about the same at age 5 years (Aturupane, Deolalikar, and Gunewardena, 2011).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are Girls' and Boys' Cognitive Test Performance in Adolescence Differently Affected by Deprivation at Earlier Ages?*

Duc

Behrman

2022

Oxf Bull Econ Stat

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Using data on the Millennium Children from the Young Lives Survey in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam, we find that earlier nutritional growth and household wealth are important predictors of adolescent outcomes in math, reading, and receptive vocabulary for all children. Gender differences in the effect of wealth are significant mostly for non‐poor regions. The cognitive outcomes at age 8 are more strongly associated with growth between ages 1 and 5 for girls than boys. The gender differences reverse after age 8 mostly due to strong associations between growth in preadolescence ages and cognitive outcomes at age 15 for boys. Under the conditional mean independence assumption, the estimators for growth of the children are unbiased and consistent.

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“…It was assumed that during the first half of the 20th century, there were no vitamin supplements; as such, access to vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetables would likely be reasonable or sufficient only between late spring and late autumn. Season of birth also affects many social, economic and biological outcomes, especially among individuals from families with limited resources (Brabec et al, 2018).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age at menarche, environmental stress, and social inequality: Evidence from Poland in the 1930s–1950s

Liczbińska

Brabec

Piontek

et al. 2022

American J Hum Biol

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Objective To address the relationship between socioeconomic factors and age of menarche among Polish women born and reared in periods that varied considerably in environmental stresses: the Great Depression of the 1930s, the interval of World War II, and the interval of communist rule following World War II through the 1950s. Methods The data set included information on age at menarche and socioeconomic status (SES) of 718 women born during the Great Depression (n = 182), WWII (n = 189), and post‐WWII through the 1950s (n = 347). A structured semi‐parametric statistical model (generalized additive model [GAM] class) was used for analysis. An ANOVA‐like linear model was used to test for marginal effects of SES‐related factors and their interactions together with nonparametric seasonal effect. Results The influence of period of birth, month of birth, region of early childhood, and father's education, and the interaction between period of birth and father's education on age at menarche were statistically significant. During the economic crisis and the interval of WWII, differences in ages at menarche between the extreme categories of father's education were marked. The differences in ages at menarche between women from the lowest and highest social groups were markedly reduced among women born during the post‐war interval. In addition, women born in February–March attained menarche earlier than women born in September–October. Conclusions Unpredictable conditions associated with the economic crisis and war conditions had a stronger impact on age at menarche among women from families of lower SES compared to women from better economic circumstances. Individuals born and reared in low SES conditions likely suffered more severe deterioration across the spectrum of the standard of living and quality of life compared to those with a higher SES.

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Birth seasons and heights among girls and boys below 12 years of age: lasting effects and catch-up growth among native Amazonians in Bolivia

Cited by 9 publications

References 114 publications

Differences in Tsimane children’s growth outcomes and associated determinants as estimated by WHO standards vs. within-population references

Differences in Tsimane children’s growth outcomes and associated determinants as estimated by WHO standards vs. within-population references

Are Girls' and Boys' Cognitive Test Performance in Adolescence Differently Affected by Deprivation at Earlier Ages?*

Age at menarche, environmental stress, and social inequality: Evidence from Poland in the 1930s–1950s

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