Document Detail


Longitudinal weight growth patterns in the highland fringes of West Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea: a comparison of three groups.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  7618854     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Longitudinal weight growth data from three groups in West Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea, are compared. A form of analysis based on the four-parameter Jenss curve is adopted, to allow intelligible comparisons of parameter means despite irregular weighing schedules for individual children. Although many weighing records include notes of a child's ill-health (e.g. malaria), omission of these weighings does not have a large effect on the results. Some significant sex differences were found, but do not appear to be importantly confounded with group differences. Of the three groups compared, the East Mianmin live at moderate altitude, the Imnai live at low altitude, and the West Mianmin are a migrant group from moderate to low altitude. In principle the analysis could have shown the groups to be differentiated by altitude of current residence (suggesting the influence of environmental factors), by altitude of ancestral residence (suggesting the influence of genetic and/or cultural factors) or by some interaction of causal factors. Findings on most parameters suggest interaction. Neither moderate nor low-altitude conditions appear consistently more favourable to rapid growth; it is suggested that the advantage of a more favourable disease environment at moderate altitude may be at least partially offset by a nutritional disadvantage. The effect of environmental conditions may also be non-uniform, especially for young infants, since infants of the migrant group, the West Mianmin, are born heaviest but grow more slowly in the early months than infants of either non-migrant group.
Authors:
R D Attenborough; R K Porteous; D S Gardner
Related Documents :
3914184 - A perinatal growth chart for international reference.
17845154 - Placental anomalies in children with infantile hemangioma.
10709894 - Growth patterns of breastfed infants in seven countries. who working group on the growt...
22958474 - Infant siblings and the investigation of autism risk factors.
10876734 - Fontanelle sizes in term neonates in ibadan, nigeria.
8632934 - Breastfeeding and the working mother: effect of time and temperature of short-term stor...
Publication Detail:
Type:  Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Annals of human biology     Volume:  22     ISSN:  0301-4460     ISO Abbreviation:  Ann. Hum. Biol.     Publication Date:    1995 Mar-Apr
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1995-08-24     Completed Date:  1995-08-24     Revised Date:  2006-11-15    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0404024     Medline TA:  Ann Hum Biol     Country:  ENGLAND    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  131-50     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Australian National University, Canberra.
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Altitude
Body Weight / physiology*
Female
Growth*
Humans
Infant
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Models, Biological*
New Guinea
Reference Values
Sex Factors

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  Influence of age, sex, and BMI on waist-to-thigh circumference ratio in children.
Next Document:  Age standardization of weight-for-height in children using a unified Z-score method.