Association between sex inequality in animal protein intake and economic development in the P apua N ew G uinea highlands

The carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of scalp hair and fingernail

Bibliographic Data

ID8317007
AuthorsMasahiro Umezaki (0000-0003-3733-3629, Department of Human Ecology Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo Hongo Tokyo 113‐0033 Japan, corresponding author), Y I Naito (0000-0002-8662-7765, Ube Frontier University), T Tsutaya (0000-0001-5104-5223, Department of Integrated Biosciences Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo Japan), Jun Baba (0000-0003-0680-5021, Faculty of Urban Liberal Arts Tokyo Metropolitan University Tokyo Japan), Kiyoshi Tadokoro (Department of Human Ecology Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo Hongo Tokyo 113‐0033 Japan), Shingo Odani (Faculty of Letters Chiba University Chiba Japan), A Morita (0000-0001-9764-6067, Tokyo Medical and Dental University), Kazumi Natsuhara (Faculty of Nursing The Japanese Red Cross Akita College of Nursing Akita Japan), Suparat Phuanukoonnon (0000-0003-4670-4006, Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research Goroka Papua New Guinea), Gwendalyn Vengiau (0000-0003-3762-0628, Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research Goroka Papua New Guinea), Peter M Siba (Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research Goroka Papua New Guinea), Minoru Yoneda (0000-0003-0129-8921, Department of Integrated Biosciences Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo Japan)
Year2016
Volume159
Issue1
Pages164-173
Publication date2016-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajpa.22844
PMID26331634
OpenAlexW1901474110
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited52

OBJECTIVES: People in the Papua New Guinea Highlands consume sweet potatoes as their dietary staple; consumption of animal protein is limited. In such societies with marginal protein intake, the intra-household allocation of animal protein in terms of sex or age is of importance. The objective of this study was to investigate how the allocation pattern of protein-rich foods by sex and age is associated with economic development in the Papua New Guinea Highlands. METHODS: The carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of fingernails, collected in 1995 in two areas (Tari and Port Moresby [the national capital where Tari migrants resided]), and of scalp hair, collected in 2007, 2012, and 2013 in three areas of different degree of economic development (Levani, Tari, and Goroka) were analyzed. RESULTS: Analysis of fingernail samples showed that δ(15)N was lower in rural communities than in the urban migrant community, while a sex difference in δ(15)N (higher in males than in females) was found in the former but not in the latter community. Age was not associated with either δ(15)N or δ(13)C values. The analysis of scalp hair samples showed that δ(15)N values were lowest in Levani, the least developed area. Furthermore, there were statistically significant sex differences in δ(15)N values in Levani but not in Tari and Goroka. Age was not associated with either δ(15)N or δ(13)C values. DISCUSSION: The sex inequality in animal protein consumption seems to have decreased as the communities in the Papua New Guinea Highlands have experienced economic development

Biology · Consumption (sociology) · Ethnology · Geography · Inequality · New guinea · Scalp · Sociology · Demography · Indigenous Studies and Ecology · Isotope Analysis in Ecology · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies