A new method for investigating the relationship between diet and mortality

Hazard analysis using dietary isotopes

Bibliographic Data

ID13923044
AuthorsRebecca Redfern (0000-0001-8849-8867, Museum of London, corresponding author), N Dewitte (0000-0003-0754-8485, University of South Carolina), Julia Beaumont (0000-0002-7166-5857, University of Bradford), Andrew R Millard (0000-0002-8290-7428, Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, UK;), Christine Hamlin (0000-0003-2554-3995)
Year2019
Volume46
Issue5
Pages378-387
Publication date2019-07-04
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAnnals of Human Biology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0301-4460 • E-ISSN: 1464-5033
PublisherInforma (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/03014460.2019.1662484
PMID31475587
OpenAlexW2971563864
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited88

Background: The population of Roman Britain are renowned for having elevated nitrogen (δ 15 ) stable isotope values, which have been interpreted as evidence for the increased consumption of marine products. However, such results are now understood to also reflect episodes of stress and disease, suggesting that new interpretations are warranted. Aim: To test a novel approach which combines hazard mortality analysis and stable isotope data to determine whether there is a relationship between age-at-death, elevated δ 15 N values and mortality risk. Subjects and methods: This study used published osteological and dietary stable isotope data for nitrogen (δ 15 N) and carbon (δ 13 C) of 659 1st-5th century AD individuals aged >12 years old excavated from Roman cemeteries in Britain. The relationship between diet and mortality risk was assessed using the Gompertz hazard model, and differences in median reported isotope values between the sexes was determined using a Mann Whitney test. Results: It was discovered that higher δ 15 N levels are associated with elevated risks of mortality, whereas the opposite pattern was observed for δ 13 C, and males had higher median δ 13 C and δ 15 N values. Conclusion: This study successfully demonstrated that stable isotope data can be integrated into hazard models, allowing one to connect diet and mortality in past populations. It supports the findings of other isotope studies which have established that individuals with childhood stress/trauma will have different isotope patterns

Biology · Confidence interval · Environmental health · Gompertz function · Hazard ratio · Isotope · Isotope analysis · Isotopes of nitrogen · Population · Stable isotope ratio · Statistics · δ13C · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Demography · Isotope Analysis in Ecology · Mathematics · Medicine · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies · Ecology · Internal Medicine