Acculturation represents an important construct for elucidating the determinants and consequences of health disparities in minority populations. However, processes mechanisms underlying acculturation's effects on are largely undetermined warrant further study. We integrate concepts from anthropology statistics to describe role sociocultural context as a putative modifier relationship between acculturation health. Sociocultural may influence extent which exposure host culture leads...

Abstract Objectives The COVID‐19 pandemic has led to unprecedented levels of unemployment and financial strain for many Americans. Among the individuals impacted by are pregnant women, whom added stress may be particularly impactful due costs associated with prenatal care providing a newborn. Financial been previously elevated depression symptoms among which could have significant impacts on birth outcomes long‐term offspring health. However, COVID‐19‐associated maternal in pregnancy not...

Abstract Objectives Among American Indians, prior research has found associations between early life trauma and the development of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adulthood. Given physiological changes associated with PTSD, could indirectly contribute to chronic disease risk. However, impact on adult physical health this population not been previously investigated. Methods We evaluated among trauma, 13 biomarkers that index cardiovascular, metabolic, neuroendocrine, anthropometric,...

ABSTRACT Anthropologists are interested in understanding patterns of human variation, whether assessed along cultural, biological, linguistic, or material metrics. Epigenetics, the study heritable chemical modifications to DNA, is an emerging approach that could enrich modern anthropological research. Epigenetic marks can change response many processes anthropologists study—for example, migration, nutritional stress, psychosocial and social inequalities, name a few. Thus, epigenetic provide...

To the editor: The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically strained American healthcare system.1 Crowded hospitals, overworked staff and a lack of medical equipment have implications for those needing care unrelated to COVID-19, including pregnant women. However, few studies examined impact on maternity care. What little work been done predominantly focused treatment women suffering from COVID-192, 3 risk virus transmission mother baby.3-6 It remains unclear how influenced maternal choices, in...

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected physical and mental health worldwide. Pregnant women already exhibit an elevated risk for depression compared to the general public, a pattern expected be exacerbated by pandemic. Certain lifestyle factors, including moderate exercise, may help support during pregnancy, but it is unclear how impact these associations across different locations. Here, we test whether: (i) reported exercise routine alterations are associated with scores;...

The chin, or mentum osseum, is one of the most distinctive anatomical traits modern humans. A variety hypotheses for adaptive value chin have been proposed, ranging from mechanical stress resistance to sexual selection via mate choice. While hypothesis predicts dimorphism in shape, biomechanical preclude it. Therefore determining presence absence significant shape provides a useful method differentiating between various hypotheses; however, this has yet be done due lack quantitative data on...

Objectives Maternal hypothalamic pituitary adrenal‐axis function regulates production of the stress hormone cortisol, which during pregnancy can cross placenta and have lasting impacts on fetal growth development. This article provides a preliminary test hypothesis that woman's socioeconomic status (SES) predicts her cortisol offspring's early postnatal period among an ethnically diverse sample in Auckland, New Zealand to evaluate whether differences contribute intergenerational inheritance...

Menstrual effluent cell profiles have potential as noninvasive biomarkers of female reproductive and gynecological health disease. We used DNA methylation-based type deconvolution (methylation cytometry) to identify in self-collected menstrual effluent. During the second day their cycle, healthy participants collected using a vaginal swab, cup, pad. Immune proportions were highest cup samples, epithelial cells swab samples. Our work demonstrates feasibility utility profiling population-level...

ABSTRACT Global health projects—a source of inspiration and collaboration for applied human biology—benefit scholars, governments, NGOs, aid organizations. While such research is intended to improve population health, direct benefits individuals communities are often excluded from published works and/or not considered in study designs framing. This exclusion increasingly recognized as a colonial legacy that hinders global equity, particularly Indigenous other marginalized populations....

Reduced psychological well-being during the postnatal period may impair a birthing parent's ability to care for themselves and their child. We investigated stress management approaches, social support types, association between perceived postpartum depression (PPD) anxiety (PPA) among cohort of individuals in United States who gave birth COVID-19 pandemic. This study uses Wave 3 data from Reproductive Effects study. Qualitative previous collection waves were used define types. Multilinear...

Abstract Telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes that function to protect from degradation. Throughout life course, telomere length decreases with age and is influenced by environmental factors health conditions. This study aimed determine relative lengths in a diverse cohort about 4000 four-year-old children New Zealand. Linear regression was used investigate relationship between length, child gender, ethnicity, paternal deprivation. We observed substantial...

Abstract Objectives: Lower birth weight (BW) reoccurs across generations, but the intermediate mechanisms remain poorly understood. One potential pathway involves cortisol, which may be elevated in women born small and turn could lead to fetal growth restriction offspring. To test this possibility, we evaluated whether BW predicts hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) function nonpregnant state a cohort of young Filipino women, differences HPA predict offspring BW. Methods: Multiple...

This study investigated the relationship of American Indian boarding school attendance and chronic physical health. We hypothesized would be associated with an increased number health problems. also examined between 15 problems that formed count conditions. attendees had a greater compared nonattendees. Father's was independently Attendees were more likely to have tuberculosis, arthritis, diabetes, anemia, high cholesterol, gall bladder disease, cancer than

Health disparities correspond to differences in disease burden and mortality among socially defined population groups. Such may emerge according race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status a variety of other social contexts, are documented for wide range diseases. Here, we provide transdisciplinary perspective on the contribution epigenetics understanding health disparities, with special emphasis across racial/ethnic Scientists fields biological anthropology, bioinformatics molecular epidemiology...