Growth Spurt, Relative Fat Distribution and Physical Activity of Senegalese Rural Male Adolescents

This study examines the height growth spurt of a group of 378 adolescent boys from rural Senegal (West Africa), along with their subcutaneous fat changes through puberty. Habitual physical activity was qualitatively estimated in a subsample of 40 adolescents via a questionnaire; it was quantitatively assessed by an accelerometer worn for 3 consecutive days. Using the Preece-Baine model, a delay of about 3 years in the growth spurt was discernable compared with CDC reference data. Despite this delay, older adolescents reached a final stature of around the 50th percentile of the reference. Subcutaneous fat increased after the age at take-off, with substantial trunk fat deposition. These adolescents appeared to be fairly active, spending 38 % of their time during the day performing vigorous activities. These results are in line with other African studies describing a slow and prolonged growth process. The fat regional deposition pattern also conformed to that of adolescents from industrialized countries. No significant relationship between physical activity and nutritional status was evidenced.

Les migrations urbaines de travail (une approche bioculturelle de leur impact dans le temps sur la maturation pubertaire, l'état nutritionnel et la croissance d'adolescentes sénégalaises)

PARIS-BIUSJ-Thèses (751052125) / SudocPARIS-BIUSJ-Physique recherche (751052113) / SudocSudocFranceF

Progressive growth deterioration in a context of nutritional transition : a case study from Vientiane (Lao PDR).

Background: The high rates of rapid urban and economic growth occurring in Asia are bringing about parallel changes in both food consumption patterns and nutritional status. Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the impact of these changes on the nutritional and health status of mothers and their offspring in Vientiane, Lao PDR. Methodology: Over 2 consecutive years, a follow-up study of 150 infant-mother pairs living at three different levels of urbanization was performed in Vientiane. The mothers completed a questionnaire on their eating habits. Clinical examinations and anthropometric measurements were also carried out. Results: The results showed that, in general, the dietary energy content was low (providing only 83% of the energy requirement) and there were deficiencies in calcium, vitamin A, Folate and iron. The main energy source was rice (providing 40.9%), while 40% of the protein provided by meat and fish provided 19.8%. The differences observed in the food contribution to energy intakes and in food diversity varied with the level of urbanization. The prevalence of stunting (13.9%; CI 10.0∼18.6%) was less than that reported at the country level. Stunting was related to age, the sex of the child and the mother's physique and varied according to the level of urbanization. Conclusion: The level of urbanization in Vientiane influences the pace of the ongoing process of nutritional transition

International Variability of Ages at Menarche and Menopause: Patterns and Main Determinants

The purpose of this study was to review published studies on the variability of age at menarche and age at menopause throughout the world, and to identify the main causes for age variation in the timing of these events. We first present a summary table including mean (or median) values of the age at menarche in 67 countries, and of the age at menopause in 26 countries. General linear models showed that mean age at menarche was strongly linked to the mean female life expectancy, suggesting that one or several variables responsible for inequalities in longevity similarly influenced the onset of menarche. A closer examination of the data revealed that among several variables reflecting living conditions, the factors best explaining the variation in age at menarche were adult illiteracy rate and vegetable calorie consumption. Because adult illiteracy rate has some correlation with the age at which children are involved in physical activities that can be detrimental in terms of energy expenditure, our results suggest that age at menarche reflects more a trend in energy balance than merely nutritional status. In addition, we found the main determinant of age at menopause to be the mean fertility. This study thus suggests that, on a large scale, age at menarche is mainly determined by extrinsic factors such as living conditions, while age at menopause seems to be mainly influenced by intrinsic factors such as the reproductive history of individuals. Finally, these findings suggest that human patterns cannot be addressed solely by traditional, small-scale investigations on single populations. Rather, complementary research on a larger scale, such as this study, may be more appropriate in defining some interesting applications to the practical problems of human ecology

Inégalités de contamination par le mercure le long du rio Béni (Bolivie) : un marqueur de l'inégale gestion et pratique des espaces par les communautés (Uneven mercury contamination alongside Rio Beni, Bolivia : a marker of uneven management and spatial practices by communities)

Health geography in France has -for nearly a century now -contributed to the understanding of health inequalities in countries of the northern and southern hemispheres. Even though its conceptual structure and methodology were for the most part initially developed through the study of vector-borne diseases, health geography has subsequently extended its scope through focussing on emerging health issues. This presentation will demonstrate how a highly fruitful method, widely applied to the understanding of health inequalities of communicable diseases, has allowed us to engage in a novel health issue, barely explored by geographers so far : the study of the exposure in the long term to low level contamination by pollutants. With the example of mercury contamination disparities in the Bolivian Amazon region, this presentation confirms the efficiency of this method, which constitutes a starting point for the development of future research on the subject of environmental pollution.La géographie de la santé en France contribue depuis près d'un siècle à la compréhension des inégalités de santé dans les pays du Sud comme du Nord. Si son cadre conceptuel s'est forgé pour beaucoup grâce à l'étude des maladies transmissibles, elle s'est également largement renouvelée en se penchant sur les maux de son temps. Cette communication montre comment une démarche fructueuse largement appliquée à la compréhension des inégalités de santé liées aux maladies transmissibles a permis de revisiter et d'apporter un éclairage nouveau sur une thématique sanitaire encore peu explorée par les géographes : la contamination sur le long terme à de faibles doses de polluants. A travers l'étude des disparités de contamination par le mercure en Amazonie bolivienne, cette communication confirme l'efficacité de cette méthode, qui constitue une porte d'entrée pour le développement de futures recherches sur le thème des pollutions environnementales.Tschirhart Céline, Handschumacher Pascal, Laffly Dominique, Piermay Jean-Luc, Blanc Maurice, Luna Selma, Benefice Eric. Inégalités de contamination par le mercure le long du rio Béni (Bolivie) : un marqueur de l'inégale gestion et pratique des espaces par les communautés (Uneven mercury contamination alongside Rio Beni, Bolivia : a marker of uneven management and spatial practices by communities). In: Bulletin de l'Association de géographes français, 89e année, 2012-2. La géographie de la santé en France, sous la direction de Jeanne-Marie Amat-Roze. pp. 337-350