Low prevalence of anemia among Shuar communities of Amazonian Ecuador

Alicia M. DeLouize; Melissa A. Liebert; Felicia C. Madimenos; Samuel S. Urlacher; Joshua M. Schrock; Tara J. Cepon-Robins; Theresa E. Gildner; Aaron D. Blackwell; Christopher J. Harrington; Dorsa Amir; Richard G. Bribiescas; James Josh Snodgrass; Lawrence S. Sugiyama

doi:10.1002/ajhb.23590

Low prevalence of anemia among Shuar communities of Amazonian Ecuador

Alicia M. DeLouize^*, Melissa A. Liebert, Felicia C. Madimenos, Samuel S. Urlacher, Joshua M. Schrock, Tara J. Cepon-Robins, Theresa E. Gildner, Aaron D. Blackwell, Christopher J. Harrington, Dorsa Amir, Richard G. Bribiescas, James Josh Snodgrass, Lawrence S. Sugiyama

^*Corresponding author for this work

ISGMH - Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: Anemia is an important global health challenge. We investigate anemia prevalence among Indigenous Shuar of Ecuador to expand our understanding of population-level variation, and to test hypotheses about how anemia variation is related to age, sex, and market integration. Methods: Hemoglobin levels were measured in a total sample of 1650 Shuar participants (ages 6 months to 86 years) from 46 communities between 2008 and 2017 to compare anemia prevalence across regions characterized by different levels of market integration. Results: Shuar anemia rates among children under 15 years (12.2%), adult women (10.5%), and adult men (5.3%) were less than half of those previously documented in other neo-tropical Indigenous populations. Anemia prevalence did not vary between more traditional and market integrated communities (OR = 0.47, p =.52). However, anemia was negatively associated with body mass index (OR = 0.47, p =.002). Conclusions: Compared to other South American Indigenous populations, anemia prevalence is relatively low among Shuar of Ecuador and invariant with market integration. Understanding this pattern can provide valuable insights into anemia prevention among at-risk populations.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	e23590
Journal	American Journal of Human Biology
Volume	34
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.23590
State	Published - Jan 2022

Funding

Evonuk Foundation; Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, Grant/Award Number: DP1OD000516\u201004; Harvard University Sheldon Traveling Fellowship; Leakey Foundation; Lewis and Clark Exploration Grant; National Science Foundation (NSF) of the United States, Grant/Award Numbers: BCS\u20100824602, BCS\u20100925910, BCS\u20101340958, BCS\u20101341165, BCS\u20101650674, DGE\u20101144152, DGE\u20102011109300, SMA\u20101606852; Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund; University of Oregon; University of Oregon Anthropology Department; University of Oregon Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies; University of Oregon Institute of Cognitive and Decision Sciences; Wenner\u2010Gren Foundation, Grant/Award Numbers: 7970, 8476, 8749, 9231, Engaged Anthropology Grant Funding information We thank the Shuar for their participation and hospitality. We also thank the Federaci\u00F3n Interprovincial de Centros Shuar (FICSH), former Dirigentes de Salud Oswaldo Mankash and Favio Chinkim, and our numerous colleagues, research assistants and friends who made this research possible including: Ruby Fried; Tiffany Gandolfo; Estella, Luzmila, Katy, and Charo Jempekat; Samantha,Utitiai; Marcia Saramiento; Dona Berta and Don Guimo; Nelly Sardi; Cesar Kayap; and Medardo Tunki.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Anatomy
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Anthropology
Genetics

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DeLouize, A. M., Liebert, M. A., Madimenos, F. C., Urlacher, S. S., Schrock, J. M., Cepon-Robins, T. J., Gildner, T. E., Blackwell, A. D., Harrington, C. J., Amir, D., Bribiescas, R. G., Snodgrass, J. J., & Sugiyama, L. S. (2022). Low prevalence of anemia among Shuar communities of Amazonian Ecuador. American Journal of Human Biology, 34(1), Article e23590. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.23590

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abstract = "Objective: Anemia is an important global health challenge. We investigate anemia prevalence among Indigenous Shuar of Ecuador to expand our understanding of population-level variation, and to test hypotheses about how anemia variation is related to age, sex, and market integration. Methods: Hemoglobin levels were measured in a total sample of 1650 Shuar participants (ages 6 months to 86 years) from 46 communities between 2008 and 2017 to compare anemia prevalence across regions characterized by different levels of market integration. Results: Shuar anemia rates among children under 15 years (12.2%), adult women (10.5%), and adult men (5.3%) were less than half of those previously documented in other neo-tropical Indigenous populations. Anemia prevalence did not vary between more traditional and market integrated communities (OR = 0.47, p =.52). However, anemia was negatively associated with body mass index (OR = 0.47, p =.002). Conclusions: Compared to other South American Indigenous populations, anemia prevalence is relatively low among Shuar of Ecuador and invariant with market integration. Understanding this pattern can provide valuable insights into anemia prevention among at-risk populations.",

author = "DeLouize, {Alicia M.} and Liebert, {Melissa A.} and Madimenos, {Felicia C.} and Urlacher, {Samuel S.} and Schrock, {Joshua M.} and Cepon-Robins, {Tara J.} and Gildner, {Theresa E.} and Blackwell, {Aaron D.} and Harrington, {Christopher J.} and Dorsa Amir and Bribiescas, {Richard G.} and Snodgrass, {James Josh} and Sugiyama, {Lawrence S.}",

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AU - Schrock, Joshua M.

AU - Cepon-Robins, Tara J.

AU - Gildner, Theresa E.

AU - Blackwell, Aaron D.

AU - Harrington, Christopher J.

AU - Amir, Dorsa

AU - Bribiescas, Richard G.

AU - Snodgrass, James Josh

AU - Sugiyama, Lawrence S.

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N2 - Objective: Anemia is an important global health challenge. We investigate anemia prevalence among Indigenous Shuar of Ecuador to expand our understanding of population-level variation, and to test hypotheses about how anemia variation is related to age, sex, and market integration. Methods: Hemoglobin levels were measured in a total sample of 1650 Shuar participants (ages 6 months to 86 years) from 46 communities between 2008 and 2017 to compare anemia prevalence across regions characterized by different levels of market integration. Results: Shuar anemia rates among children under 15 years (12.2%), adult women (10.5%), and adult men (5.3%) were less than half of those previously documented in other neo-tropical Indigenous populations. Anemia prevalence did not vary between more traditional and market integrated communities (OR = 0.47, p =.52). However, anemia was negatively associated with body mass index (OR = 0.47, p =.002). Conclusions: Compared to other South American Indigenous populations, anemia prevalence is relatively low among Shuar of Ecuador and invariant with market integration. Understanding this pattern can provide valuable insights into anemia prevention among at-risk populations.

AB - Objective: Anemia is an important global health challenge. We investigate anemia prevalence among Indigenous Shuar of Ecuador to expand our understanding of population-level variation, and to test hypotheses about how anemia variation is related to age, sex, and market integration. Methods: Hemoglobin levels were measured in a total sample of 1650 Shuar participants (ages 6 months to 86 years) from 46 communities between 2008 and 2017 to compare anemia prevalence across regions characterized by different levels of market integration. Results: Shuar anemia rates among children under 15 years (12.2%), adult women (10.5%), and adult men (5.3%) were less than half of those previously documented in other neo-tropical Indigenous populations. Anemia prevalence did not vary between more traditional and market integrated communities (OR = 0.47, p =.52). However, anemia was negatively associated with body mass index (OR = 0.47, p =.002). Conclusions: Compared to other South American Indigenous populations, anemia prevalence is relatively low among Shuar of Ecuador and invariant with market integration. Understanding this pattern can provide valuable insights into anemia prevention among at-risk populations.

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Low prevalence of anemia among Shuar communities of Amazonian Ecuador

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