On the accuracy of perceived parental height in a native Amazonian society

Ankur M. Patel; Ricardo A. Godoy; Craig Seyfried; Victoria Reyes-García; Tomás Huanca; William R. Leonard; Thomas W. McDade; Susan Tanner

doi:10.1016/j.ehb.2006.10.005

On the accuracy of perceived parental height in a native Amazonian society

Ankur M. Patel, Ricardo A. Godoy^*, Craig Seyfried, Victoria Reyes-García, Tomás Huanca, William R. Leonard, Thomas W. McDade, Susan Tanner

^*Corresponding author for this work

Anthropology

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

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Studies of secular trends in adult height in rural pre-literate societies are likely to show no change owing to random measurement error in age. In such societies, adults lack birth certificates and guess when estimating their age. We assess the accuracy of perceived height of the same-sex parent to estimate secular trends. We tested the method among the Tsimane', a native Amazonian society of farmers and foragers in Bolivia. Subjects included 268 women and 287 men >20 years of age. Over half the sample reported inaccurately the height of their same-sex living parent, with a tendency to report no difference when, in fact, differences existed. Results highlight the pitfalls of using perceived parental height to examine secular trends in adult height among the Tsimane', though the method might yield accurate information in other societies. We discuss possible reasons for the low accuracy of Tsimane' estimates.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	165-178
Number of pages	14
Journal	Economics and Human Biology
Volume	5
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2006.10.005
State	Published - Mar 2007

Keywords

Amazon
Amerindians
Anthropometrics
Bolivia
Height
Indigenous populations
Secular trends
Self-reported height
Tsimane'

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Health(social science)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.ehb.2006.10.005

Cite this

@article{87e36f8a24d644619a9d09142b8d56ef,

title = "On the accuracy of perceived parental height in a native Amazonian society",

abstract = "Studies of secular trends in adult height in rural pre-literate societies are likely to show no change owing to random measurement error in age. In such societies, adults lack birth certificates and guess when estimating their age. We assess the accuracy of perceived height of the same-sex parent to estimate secular trends. We tested the method among the Tsimane', a native Amazonian society of farmers and foragers in Bolivia. Subjects included 268 women and 287 men >20 years of age. Over half the sample reported inaccurately the height of their same-sex living parent, with a tendency to report no difference when, in fact, differences existed. Results highlight the pitfalls of using perceived parental height to examine secular trends in adult height among the Tsimane', though the method might yield accurate information in other societies. We discuss possible reasons for the low accuracy of Tsimane' estimates.",

keywords = "Amazon, Amerindians, Anthropometrics, Bolivia, Height, Indigenous populations, Secular trends, Self-reported height, Tsimane'",

author = "Patel, {Ankur M.} and Godoy, {Ricardo A.} and Craig Seyfried and Victoria Reyes-Garc{\'i}a and Tom{\'a}s Huanca and Leonard, {William R.} and McDade, {Thomas W.} and Susan Tanner",

note = "Funding Information: Research was funded by grants from the programs of Biological and Cultural Anthropology of the National Science Foundation (0134225, 0200767, and 0322380). Thanks go to J. Cari, S. Cari, E. Conde, V. Cuata, B. Nate, D. Pache, J. Pache, P. Pache, M. Roca, and E. Tayo for help collecting data and logistical support. Thanks to the Gran Consejo Tsimane{\textquoteright} for their continuous support and to J. Komlos and three anonymous reviewers for comments on earlier drafts.",

year = "2007",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1016/j.ehb.2006.10.005",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "5",

pages = "165--178",

journal = "Economics and Human Biology",

issn = "1570-677X",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - On the accuracy of perceived parental height in a native Amazonian society

AU - Patel, Ankur M.

AU - Godoy, Ricardo A.

AU - Seyfried, Craig

AU - Reyes-García, Victoria

AU - Huanca, Tomás

AU - Leonard, William R.

AU - McDade, Thomas W.

AU - Tanner, Susan

N1 - Funding Information: Research was funded by grants from the programs of Biological and Cultural Anthropology of the National Science Foundation (0134225, 0200767, and 0322380). Thanks go to J. Cari, S. Cari, E. Conde, V. Cuata, B. Nate, D. Pache, J. Pache, P. Pache, M. Roca, and E. Tayo for help collecting data and logistical support. Thanks to the Gran Consejo Tsimane’ for their continuous support and to J. Komlos and three anonymous reviewers for comments on earlier drafts.

PY - 2007/3

Y1 - 2007/3

N2 - Studies of secular trends in adult height in rural pre-literate societies are likely to show no change owing to random measurement error in age. In such societies, adults lack birth certificates and guess when estimating their age. We assess the accuracy of perceived height of the same-sex parent to estimate secular trends. We tested the method among the Tsimane', a native Amazonian society of farmers and foragers in Bolivia. Subjects included 268 women and 287 men >20 years of age. Over half the sample reported inaccurately the height of their same-sex living parent, with a tendency to report no difference when, in fact, differences existed. Results highlight the pitfalls of using perceived parental height to examine secular trends in adult height among the Tsimane', though the method might yield accurate information in other societies. We discuss possible reasons for the low accuracy of Tsimane' estimates.

AB - Studies of secular trends in adult height in rural pre-literate societies are likely to show no change owing to random measurement error in age. In such societies, adults lack birth certificates and guess when estimating their age. We assess the accuracy of perceived height of the same-sex parent to estimate secular trends. We tested the method among the Tsimane', a native Amazonian society of farmers and foragers in Bolivia. Subjects included 268 women and 287 men >20 years of age. Over half the sample reported inaccurately the height of their same-sex living parent, with a tendency to report no difference when, in fact, differences existed. Results highlight the pitfalls of using perceived parental height to examine secular trends in adult height among the Tsimane', though the method might yield accurate information in other societies. We discuss possible reasons for the low accuracy of Tsimane' estimates.

KW - Amazon

KW - Amerindians

KW - Anthropometrics

KW - Bolivia

KW - Height

KW - Indigenous populations

KW - Secular trends

KW - Self-reported height

KW - Tsimane'

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33846938340&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33846938340&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.ehb.2006.10.005

DO - 10.1016/j.ehb.2006.10.005

M3 - Article

C2 - 17127112

AN - SCOPUS:33846938340

SN - 1570-677X

VL - 5

SP - 165

EP - 178

JO - Economics and Human Biology

JF - Economics and Human Biology

IS - 1

ER -

On the accuracy of perceived parental height in a native Amazonian society

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this