Head size and academic performance

The aim of the paper was to study the potential correlation between school students’ head size and academic performance. As the material, the head length and breadth measurement data of 5034 7–18-year-old ethnic Estonian school students measured by Prof. J. Aul in 1966–1969 were used. To get an overview of head size and the development of its growth, head module A was used. The correlation between head size and school students’ academic performance was studied using the data of 4840 school students aged 8–18 years (2406 boys and 2434 girls). Academic performance was assessed based on school students’ grades in a three-point system: I – low, II – medium, III – good academic performance. As a result, head module A was found to increase relatively evenly and relatively modestly in Tallinn school students during their school years (7% in boys and 4.5% in girls), while boys’ heads were larger than girls’. Relative head module A decreased in school students with age in both boys and girls. Until the age of 14 years, relative value of head module A is greater in boys than in girls; from the age of 16 years, however, the relative value of head module A becomes greater in girls than boys. A significant correlation between academic performance and head size was found in both boys and girls. The greatest differences in head size were between students with low and good academic performance. Head module A of the latter was essentially greater. In puberty, a few years later in boys than in girls, the mentioned correlation was weaker

Multiple burials in Siksälä cemetery (12th–15th cc): Bioarchaeological aspect

The aim of this paper is to give a bioarchaeological overview of the graves with multiple simultaneous burials in the South-East Estonian Siksälä cemetery (12th– 15th cc). Six inhumation graves with a total of 16 individuals were analysed. The studied multiple burials represent various age and gender combinations. Any relations between skeletal pathologies and grave goods could not be observed.In three multiple burials from the studied six, the wounds of the male skeleton indicate violence and these individuals could have died as a result of a violent assault. In two cases, the burials do not display pathological bone changes. The earlier burial dating from the 14th century, contained females aged 17–18 and 12–14 years. Probably an infectious disease of short duration was the reason for the death of both young individuals at approximately the same time in the case of that burial, as well as in the case of the triple children’s burial from the 15th century.In the 15th century, the number of finds in graves decreases. Burial costume becomes simpler and the occurrence of finds pointing to status and ethnocultural identity decreases greatly. All these circumstances are also reflected, in one way or the other, in the studied multiple burials

Taste sensitivity to PTC and colour blindness in Estonians

The article discusses the genetic characterisation of Estonians on the basis of the traits of PTC and colour blindness in Estonian population samples from various parts of Estonia. The taste sensitivity to PTC was studied in 2559 Estonian schoolchildren from 24 localities and of colour blindness in 4300 males from 33 localities. Results: The frequency of nontasters was 25.4% on average; <i>t</i> gene frequency (50.4% for Estonians) varied between 36% and 65%. PTC nontasters frequency is higher on West-Estonian islands and in Western Estonia compared to other parts of Estonia. The frequency of colour blindness <i>cb</i> gene (5.3% for Estonians) is higher in North, North-East and East Estonia (6–8%); its mean frequency on the rest of the territory is lower. The genetic diversity in various traits seem to be a trace of the historical development of the Estonian nation

In memoriam: Mart Viikmaa

In memoriam: Mart Viikma

Physical anthropology and bioarchaeology at the Institute of History in the last 20 years

Human populations and their history have been studied at the Institute of History since 1952 when the young researcher Karin Mark started her career here. Later, Karin Mark became a leading researcher in palaeoanthro pology and somatology of Finno-Ugric peoples, and her working group grew. At the end of the 1980s, Leiu Heapost took over the position as group leader in anthropological research. In 1988 Raili Allmäe and in 2004 Jana Limbo-Simovart joined the group. Since 1998, Estonian research has been project-based; in the present paper we give a brief overview of our anthropological research at the Institute of History (and its descendants) in the last twenty years

The content of chemical elements in archaeological human bones as a source of nutrition research

The aim of the present research was to determine chemical elements using the inductive plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) in Estonian archaeological human bones to establish the possible content of the menu in different communities. Among the studied material clear differentiation can be made between the Pärnu cemetery of St John’s church (the cemetery of the Pärnu garrison) from the 16–18th cc. and the Tääksi village cemetery from the 14–18th century. The material from the 12–13th cc. Pada cemetery remains between the two above-mentioned cemeteries concerning the content of the observed elements. The initial data show only the differences of the general trends of the content of chemical elements between the inland and the coastal areas, the village and the town, the higher and the lower social status communities. The contents of chemical elements in the Estonian archaeological bones were similar to the respective contents in Latvia

Comparison of paternal and maternal feeding practices and parenting styles between healthy weight and overweight or obese primary school children

Introduction: Parents play significant roles in developing the behaviour of their children towards food. However, mothers usually represent the parents of the children in previous studies, while fathers were left out and their contribution remained unknown. This study compared paternal and maternal feeding practices and parenting styles between overweight or obese (OW/OB) and normal weight (NW) primary school children. Methods: There were 419 children aged 10 to 11 from four randomly selected national primary schools being screened for their body weight and height. There were 105 children identified as OW/OB and matched with 105 NW children based on sex, age and ethnicity, whose both their parents were then recruited as study subjects. Parents reported their personal body weight and height, and completed a questionnaire on parenting styles and feeding practices. Results: There were 34.9% of children overweight and obese, and more than half of their fathers (66.5%) and mothers (52.5%) were over-weight and obese. Both fathers and mothers of the OW/OB children perceived their children to be slightly heavier, but a majority of them perceived their children’s body weight status less accurately and applied less pressure to eat. Fathers of the OW/OB children were more in the obese category, performed indulgent parenting style, perceived less feeding responsibility and applied less monitoring on their children, but not mothers. Conclusion: There were distinct differences in paternal and maternal feeding practices and parenting styles between OW/OB and NW children. Researchers should encourage fathers to involve in childhood obesity research instead of focusing on mothers

O papel dos movimentos sociais em prol da economia solidária: possibilitadores de cidadania e inclusão social

O movimento de economia solidária é considerado como sendo propulsor de uma nova orientação para a sociedade, se inserindo no contexto dos movimentos sociais, que têm tido importante papel como modelo alternativo ao existente, a fim de propiciar a inclusão social e, por via reflexa, o resgate da cidadania. Os movimentos sociais são atores de grande relevância no contexto do desenvolvimento social, além de incluir uma nova tendência de desenvolvimento, qual seja, a economia solidária. Este movimento, fundamentado em um novo conceito de economia, se contrapõe ao modelo capitalista vigente, excludente, propugnando por uma economia que seja ao mesmo tempo sustentável e includente, que contemple as pessoas marginalizadas na sociedade, proporcionando-lhes as condições e oportunidades necessárias para o seu pleno desenvolvimento como pessoa humana e como cidadão. O movimento de economia solidária se coloca como mediador entre a sociedade civil e o Estado na busca do desenvolvimento de uma economia que contribua igualmente para o desenvolvimento da pessoa humana e efetivação do exercício da cidadania, na construção de uma sociedade mais justa

High body fat percentage and low consumption of dairy products were associated with vitamin D inadequacy among older women in Malaysia

Background: Serum vitamin D insufficiency is a public health issue, especially among older women. Sun exposure is fundamental in the production of vitamin D, but older women have less optimal sun exposure. Therefore, factors such as body composition and diet become more essential in sustaining sufficient serum levels of vitamin D. The objective of the current study is to determine factors contributing towards serum vitamin D insufficiency among 214 older women. Methods: The respondents had their body weight, height, waist circumference and body fat percentage measured, as well as interviewed for their socio-demographic characteristics, sun exposure and dietary intake. Fasting blood samples were obtained from the respondents to measure their serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration. Results: There were 82.7% (95% CI: 77.6%, 87.8%) of the respondents that had serum vitamin D insufficiency (< 50 nmol/L) with an average of 37.4 ± 14.3nmol/L. In stepwise multiple linear regression, high percentage of body fat (ß = -0.211, p <0.01) and low consumption of milk and dairy products (ß = 0.135, p <0.05) were the main contributors towards insufficient serum vitamin D levels, but not socio-demographic characteristics, other anthropometric indices, sun exposure and diet quality. Conclusion: Older women with high body fat percentage and low dairy product consumption were more likely to have serum vitamin D insufficiency. Older women should ensure their body fat percentage is within a healthy range and consume more milk and dairy products in preventing serum vitamin D insufficiency