A Roberto Frisancho
Biographic Data
| ID | 86966 |
|---|---|
| NAME | A Roberto Frisancho |
| GIVEN NAMES | A Roberto |
| FAMILY NAME | Frisancho |
| SIGNATURE | FRISANCHO A R |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Michigan |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 43 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 292 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 43 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1966 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 10 |
Origin of the Nuñoa, Perú High Altitude Field Research Site and How It Shaped Our Understanding of Functional Adaptation to High‐Altitude Stressors
The study of physical growth and development of Indigenous children from Nuñoa, Perú, in the 1960s showed that growth in body size and skeletal maturation was slow and delayed, while growth in lung volume, measured by forced vital capacity (FVC), was accelerated. Hence, I proposed that the high functional adaptation of high‐altitude natives was influenced by developmental processes. To test this hypothesis, my co‐investigators and I conducted two…
Developmental Functional Adaptation to High Altitude: Review
Developmental Functional Adaptation to High Altitude: Review
Various approaches have been used to understand the origins of the functional traits that characterize the Andean high‐altitude native. Based on the conceptual framework of developmental functional adaptation which postulates that environmental influences during the period of growth and development have long lasting effects that may be expressed during adulthood , we initiated a series of studies addressed at determining the pattern of physical g…
Developmental adaptation: Where we go from here
The concept of developmental adaptation is a powerful framework that can be used for understanding the origin of population differences in phenotypic and genotypic biological traits. There is great deal of information describing how developmental responses can shape adult biological outcomes. Specifically, current research suggest that individuals developing in stressful environments such as high altitude will attain an adult enlarged residual lu…
Influence of maternal stature, pregnancy age, and infant birth weight on growth during childhood in Yucatan, Mexico: A test of the intergenerational effects hypothesis
In developing nations, obesity has increased dramatically in the last decade, but a high prevalence of stunting still coexists. The intergenerational influences hypothesis (IIH) is one explanation for this. We test the IIH regarding variation in maternal stature, mother's age at pregnancy, and infant birth weight in relation to risk for overweight and stunting in 206 Maya children (4–6 years old) from Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico. The Maya children ar…
Obituary: Stanley Marion Garn (1922–2007)
Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version of this article. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article
Anthropometric Standards: An Interactive Nutritional Reference of Body Size and Body Composition for Children and Adults
Relative leg length as a biological marker to trace the developmental history of individuals and populations: Growth delay and increased body fat
The purpose of this study was to determine whether differences in leg length index are related to differences in body fat. The study included a cross‐sectional sample of 21,021 subjects ranging in age from 2 to 90 years who had anthropometric information and poverty income ratio that participated in the third National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES III) of the United Stated conducted during 1988–1994. Of the total 21,021 participants, 7,810 …
Reduced rate of fat oxidation: A metabolic pathway to obesity in the developing nations
The purpose of this article is to document the metabolic and environmental factors associated with the increased frequency of obesity in the developing nations. While the prevalence of obesity in the developed countries is caused by the increased consumption of calorie‐dense foods, in the developing nations, because obesity coexists with undernutrition, additional factors are necessary to account for it. The evidence suggests that an important co…
Obesity, growth and development
No Abstract
Role of genetic and environmental factors in the increased blood pressures of Bolivian blacks
The tendency toward hypertension or higher blood pressure is more common in blacks than whites. The factors that account for these differences are attributed to both environmental and genetic factors. To clarify this issue, an anthropological study of black and nonblack populations in the lowland village of Chicaloma, northeastern Bolivia at a midaltitude of 1,800 m was conducted. The study included 159 subjects, of which 79 were black and 80 wer…
Role of genetic and environmental factors in the increased blood pressures of Bolivian blacks
The tendency toward hypertension or higher blood pressure is more common in blacks than whites. The factors that account for these differences are attributed to both environmental and genetic factors. To clarify this issue, an anthropological study of black and nonblack populations in the lowland village of Chicaloma, northeastern Bolivia at a midaltitude of 1,800 m was conducted. The study included 159 subjects, of which 79 were black and 80 wer…
Developmental components of resting ventilation among high‐ and low‐altitude Andean children and adults
This paper evaluates the age-associated changes of resting ventilation of 115 high- and low-altitude Aymara subjects, of whom 61 were from the rural Aymara village of Ventilla situated at an average altitude of 4,200 m and 54 from the rural village of Caranavi situated at an average altitude of 900 m. Comparison of the age patterns of resting ventilation suggests the following conclusions: 1) the resting ventilation (ml/kg/min) of high-altitude n…
Developmental components of resting ventilation among high- and low-altitude Andean children and adults
This paper evaluates the age-associated changes of resting ventilation of 115 high- and low-altitude Aymara subjects, of whom 61 were from the rural Aymara village of Ventilla situated at an average altitude of 4,200 m and 54 from the rural village of Caranavi situated at an average altitude of 900 m. Comparison of the age patterns of resting ventilation suggests the following conclusions: 1) the resting ventilation (ml/kg/min) of high-altitude n…
Developmental, genetic, and environmental components of lung volumes at high altitude
of body surface area) of 357 subjects (205 males, 152 females) was evaluated in La Paz, Bolivia, situated at 3,750 m. The sample included: (1) 37 high altitude rural natives (all male), (2) 125 high altitude urban natives (69 male, 58 female), (3) 85 Bolivians of foreign ancestry acclimatized to high altitude since birth (40 male, 45 female), (4) 63 Bolivians of foreign ancestry acclimatized to high altitude during growth (30 male, 33 female), an…
Coca chewing among high altitude natives: Work and muscular efficiencies of nonhabitual chewers
The leaves of the coca plant ( Erythroxylum sp. ) have long been chewed by natives of the highland Andes. Folk belief is that the mild stimulant effect is indispensable as an ergogenic aid for strenuous work activities in a high altitude environment. This study explored the exercise responses of 23 nonhabitual coca chewing males who were asked to pedal a bicycle ergometer through a series of submaximal and maximal workloads both with and without …
Developmental, genetic, and environmental components of aerobic capacity at high altitude
The aerobic capacity of 268 subjects (158 males and 110 females) was evaluated in La Paz, Bolivia situated at 3,750 m. The sample included 1) 39 high altitude rural natives (all male); 2) 67 high altitude urban natives (32 male, 35 female); 3) 69 Bolivians of foreign ancestry acclimatized to high altitude since birth (37 male, 32 female); 4) 50 Bolivians of foreign ancestry acclimatized to high altitude during growth (25 male, 25 female); and 5) …
Relationship of serum cholesterol and truncal body fat distribution among Mexican Americans is accentuated by obesity
The relationship of body fat distribution to serum cholesterol levels was evaluated in a sample of 3,040 Mexican Americans 18–74 years of age from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES) conducted from 1982–1984. Fat distribution was determined by the ratio of trunk to extremity skinfold thicknesses, while the sum of skinfold thicknesses was used as an indicator of total body fat. Results of this study indicate that: 1) Mexi…
Small for gestational age associated with short stature during adolescence
This study examined the relationship between intrauterine growth retardation and adolescent stature in a sample of 1510 White subjects (754 males and 756 females) who were evaluated at birth and at the ages of 15, 16, and 17 years. The subjects were classified into two groups based on birthweight, small for gestational age (SGA) and appropriate for gestational age (AGA), corresponding respectively to values below the 10th, and between the 11th an…
Introduction: Symposium in honor of Stanley M. Garn
Human Adaptation and Accommodation
Anthropometric Standards for the Assessment of Growth and Nutritional Status
Reduction in birth weight associated with smoking among young and older‐age women
This study examined the combined effects of maternal smoking and maternal age on birth weight. A sample of 1,851 white, full‐term infants (37 to 42 weeks) born to primiparous mothers ranging in age from 18 to 41 years was derived from the database of the Child Health and Development Studies (CHDS), available through the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The mothers were classified into three age gro…
Council officers and committees
American Journal of Human Biology as the new official publication of the Human Biology Council
Altitude and growth: A study of the patterns of physical growth of a high altitude Peruvian Quechua population
Data on physical growth were obtained for a sample of 1202 Quechua subjects, aged 2 to 35 years from the district of Nuñoa, Puno, located in the southern highlands (altitude 4000–5500m) of Peru. These data were supplemented by a three‐year longitudinal study of 300 subjects, aged 1 to 22 years. The patterns of physical growth of members of the indigenous population of Nuñoa are characterized by (1) late sexual dimorphism, (2) slow and prolonged g…
Influence of maternal nutritional status on prenatal growth in a Peruvian urban population
Anthropometric measurements were made on 4,952 mothers and their neonates from a Peruvian urban population. Based on age‐specific percentiles, the mothers were separated into categories of short and tall stature, high and low fat, and high and low muscle. The study indicates that: (1) tall and short mothers characterized by similar subcutaneous fat and upper arm muscle area (whether high or low) had newborns with similar birth weight and recumben…
Human Adaptation and Accommodation
Nutritional influence on childhood development and genetic control of adolescent growth of Quechuas and Mestizos from the Peruvian Lowlands
The growth in height of 1,202 Quechua and Mestizo children aged 6 to 19 years of the province of Lamas in the Peruvian Eastern Lowlands was studied. As shown by evaluations of ABO, Rh systems, and skin reflectance measurements, the Quechuas are genetically different from the Mestizos. The heights of Quechuas and Mestizos were matched for nutritional status based on measurements of subcutaneous fat and body muscle. The study indicates that: (1) du…
Developmental and nutritional determinants of pregnancy outcome among teenagers
To investigate the determinants of low birth weight in infants born to adolescent mothers, we studied the obstetric population attended at the Maternity Hospital of Lima, Peru. From this population, 1256 gravidas, ranging in age from 12 to 25 years, volunteered to participate in this study. Anthropometric and biochemical measurements were used to evaluate the nutritional status and physiological maturity of the mother and newborn. For analytical …
Adaptive significance of small body size under poor socio‐economic conditions in southern Peru
The relationship of variations in parental body size to offspring survival has been studied in a population of poor socio‐economic conditions (“Barriada”) in the southern highland of Peru. Parents of small body size, especially mothers, had significantly greater per cent offspring survival than parents with larger body size. In other words, the offspring survival effectiveness of subjects of small body size was greater than that of subjects of la…
Developmental responses to high altitude hypoxia
From a review of published literature on developmental responses to high altitude, three major conclusions are derived. First, the small birth weight of high altitude native populations are adaptive responses to reduce the oxygen requirements, while the relative increase in the placental weight is a compromise mechanism to increase the volume and surface area for a better oxygenation. Second, the small stature of the high altitude native is due t…
Developmental, genetic, and environmental components of aerobic capacity at high altitude
The aerobic capacity of 268 subjects (158 males and 110 females) was evaluated in La Paz, Bolivia situated at 3,750 m. The sample included 1) 39 high altitude rural natives (all male); 2) 67 high altitude urban natives (32 male, 35 female); 3) 69 Bolivians of foreign ancestry acclimatized to high altitude since birth (37 male, 32 female); 4) 50 Bolivians of foreign ancestry acclimatized to high altitude during growth (25 male, 25 female); and 5) …
Childhood retardation resulting in reduction of adult body size due to lesser adolescent skeletal delay
The skeletal maturation of 7972 rural children from the six Central American nations, aged one month through 22 years, is evaluated. The results suggest that retardation in skeletal maturation during childhood is significantly greater than during adolescence, while growth in body size shows a progressive delay from infancy through adolescence. In other words, the apparent improvement in skeletal maturation during adolescence is not associated wit…
Standards of arm muscle by stature for the assessment of nutritional status of children
This study is based on a sample of 9,134 children ranging in age from 2 to 17 years from which the excessively lean and fat children by skinfold thickness were excluded. This sample was derived from the combined data sets of the first and second National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES I and II) of 1971–1974 and 1976–1980. Means and percentiles of upper arm muscle area were calculated for 3 cm increments in stature from 84 to 184…
Confirmation of the sex difference in continuing subperiosteal apposition
A major sex difference in the rate of continuing bone expansion was confirmed for 5660 adult subjects of European ancestry. The five‐decade gain in metacarpal midshaft area amounted to 8.4% in 3455 females and 2.8% in 2205 males. There was no systematic age effect on the length of the second metacarpal. Accordingly, both bone expansion and the marked sex difference in its magnitude may be attributed to sex‐specific aspects of ageing much like the…
Relationship of skinfolds and muscle size to growth of children. I. Costa Rica
The relationships between triceps skinfolds and stature and between upper arm muscle size and stature were studied on 874 pairs matched for age derived from a cross‐sectional sample of 2,445 Costa Rican rural subjects, aged 0 to 20 years. The results indicate that fatter children for their age, on the average, are not taller than their leaner counterparts. On the other hand, more muscular children, on the average, are taller than their less muscu…
Heritability and components of phenotypic expression in skin reflectance of Mestizos from the Peruvian Lowlands
Skin reflectance was measured on the inner upper arm and forehead of a sample of 209 Mestizos ranging in age from 2 to 64 years living in the town of Lamas in the Eastern Peruvian Lowlands. The sample consisted of 43 father‐son, 42 father‐daughter, 62 mother‐son, and 70 mother‐daughter pairs. The sample also consisted of 57 brother‐brother, 60 sister‐sister and 139 brother‐sister pairs. The reflectance measurements were made with a Photovolt Refl…
Coca Chewing and High-Altitude Stress: Possible Effects of Coca Alkaloids on Erythropoiesis [and Comments and Reply]
Andean Indians who chew coca seek to alleviate symptoms of hunger, thirst, fatigue, cold, and pain. A complete explanation of coca's use should account for these motives. The distribution of coca chewing in the Andes is shown to parallel that of polycythemia. Coca chewing is more common in higher altitudes, with men consistently chewing more than women and children, and chewing is especially common amongst mineworkers. Since androgens stimulate e…
Analysis of triquetral‐lunate fusion
Fusion of the centers of the triquetral and lunate (the os lunato‐triquetrum) was observed in 1.6% of 7,543 subjects primarily of African origin as compared with 0.1% of 11,663 persons of European origin. The fusion was twice as common in females as in males, multifactorial inheritance was suggested in the lineages studied, and a possible selective disadvantage was postulated after comparison with West African fusion frequencies
Secular trend in neonatal mortality in the mountain states
Reviewing trends in neonatal mortality from 1957 to 1967, it is clear that neonatal and infant mortality has declined faster in the mountain states than in the low altitude states. Accordingly, the increased neonatal and infant mortality at high altitudes or in the mountain states cannot be attributed to high altitude hypoxia alone. Furthermore, the decline in neonatal mortality in the mountain states has not been accompanied by a decrease in the…
A‐B‐O and Rh affinities between highland and lowland Quechua‐speaking Peruvian populations
According to the accounts of the Spanish chronicles and various historical analyses the Quechua‐speaking population inhabiting the Province of Lamas in the Eastern Tropical Lowlands of Peru are descendants of the Chanca Tribes that migrated from the highlands about 500 years ago. The results of the present study indicate that in terms of the A‐B‐O and Rh systems the lowland Quechua‐speaking population from the Province of Lamas and the highland Q…
Obituary: Stanley Marion Garn (1922–2007)
Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version of this article. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article
Calendar of Meetings
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Physical Anthropology: Desarrollo Somatico y Rendimiento Fisico del Escolar Peruano. Ernesto Esteban A. and Rolland G. Paulston
Secular trend in neonatal mortality in the mountain states
Reviewing trends in neonatal mortality from 1957 to 1967, it is clear that neonatal and infant mortality has declined faster in the mountain states than in the low altitude states. Accordingly, the increased neonatal and infant mortality at high altitudes or in the mountain states cannot be attributed to high altitude hypoxia alone. Furthermore, the decline in neonatal mortality in the mountain states has not been accompanied by a decrease in the…
Developmental responses to high altitude hypoxia
From a review of published literature on developmental responses to high altitude, three major conclusions are derived. First, the small birth weight of high altitude native populations are adaptive responses to reduce the oxygen requirements, while the relative increase in the placental weight is a compromise mechanism to increase the volume and surface area for a better oxygenation. Second, the small stature of the high altitude native is due t…
Altitude and growth: A study of the patterns of physical growth of a high altitude Peruvian Quechua population
Data on physical growth were obtained for a sample of 1202 Quechua subjects, aged 2 to 35 years from the district of Nuñoa, Puno, located in the southern highlands (altitude 4000–5500m) of Peru. These data were supplemented by a three‐year longitudinal study of 300 subjects, aged 1 to 22 years. The patterns of physical growth of members of the indigenous population of Nuñoa are characterized by (1) late sexual dimorphism, (2) slow and prolonged g…
Childhood retardation resulting in reduction of adult body size due to lesser adolescent skeletal delay
The skeletal maturation of 7972 rural children from the six Central American nations, aged one month through 22 years, is evaluated. The results suggest that retardation in skeletal maturation during childhood is significantly greater than during adolescence, while growth in body size shows a progressive delay from infancy through adolescence. In other words, the apparent improvement in skeletal maturation during adolescence is not associated wit…
Relationship of skinfolds and muscle size to growth of children. I. Costa Rica
The relationships between triceps skinfolds and stature and between upper arm muscle size and stature were studied on 874 pairs matched for age derived from a cross‐sectional sample of 2,445 Costa Rican rural subjects, aged 0 to 20 years. The results indicate that fatter children for their age, on the average, are not taller than their leaner counterparts. On the other hand, more muscular children, on the average, are taller than their less muscu…
Analysis of triquetral‐lunate fusion
Fusion of the centers of the triquetral and lunate (the os lunato‐triquetrum) was observed in 1.6% of 7,543 subjects primarily of African origin as compared with 0.1% of 11,663 persons of European origin. The fusion was twice as common in females as in males, multifactorial inheritance was suggested in the lineages studied, and a possible selective disadvantage was postulated after comparison with West African fusion frequencies
Confirmation of the sex difference in continuing subperiosteal apposition
A major sex difference in the rate of continuing bone expansion was confirmed for 5660 adult subjects of European ancestry. The five‐decade gain in metacarpal midshaft area amounted to 8.4% in 3455 females and 2.8% in 2205 males. There was no systematic age effect on the length of the second metacarpal. Accordingly, both bone expansion and the marked sex difference in its magnitude may be attributed to sex‐specific aspects of ageing much like the…
Adaptive significance of small body size under poor socio‐economic conditions in southern Peru
The relationship of variations in parental body size to offspring survival has been studied in a population of poor socio‐economic conditions (“Barriada”) in the southern highland of Peru. Parents of small body size, especially mothers, had significantly greater per cent offspring survival than parents with larger body size. In other words, the offspring survival effectiveness of subjects of small body size was greater than that of subjects of la…
A‐B‐O and Rh affinities between highland and lowland Quechua‐speaking Peruvian populations
According to the accounts of the Spanish chronicles and various historical analyses the Quechua‐speaking population inhabiting the Province of Lamas in the Eastern Tropical Lowlands of Peru are descendants of the Chanca Tribes that migrated from the highlands about 500 years ago. The results of the present study indicate that in terms of the A‐B‐O and Rh systems the lowland Quechua‐speaking population from the Province of Lamas and the highland Q…
Influence of maternal nutritional status on prenatal growth in a Peruvian urban population
Anthropometric measurements were made on 4,952 mothers and their neonates from a Peruvian urban population. Based on age‐specific percentiles, the mothers were separated into categories of short and tall stature, high and low fat, and high and low muscle. The study indicates that: (1) tall and short mothers characterized by similar subcutaneous fat and upper arm muscle area (whether high or low) had newborns with similar birth weight and recumben…
Coca Chewing and High-Altitude Stress: Possible Effects of Coca Alkaloids on Erythropoiesis [and Comments and Reply]
Andean Indians who chew coca seek to alleviate symptoms of hunger, thirst, fatigue, cold, and pain. A complete explanation of coca's use should account for these motives. The distribution of coca chewing in the Andes is shown to parallel that of polycythemia. Coca chewing is more common in higher altitudes, with men consistently chewing more than women and children, and chewing is especially common amongst mineworkers. Since androgens stimulate e…
Nutritional influence on childhood development and genetic control of adolescent growth of Quechuas and Mestizos from the Peruvian Lowlands
The growth in height of 1,202 Quechua and Mestizo children aged 6 to 19 years of the province of Lamas in the Peruvian Eastern Lowlands was studied. As shown by evaluations of ABO, Rh systems, and skin reflectance measurements, the Quechuas are genetically different from the Mestizos. The heights of Quechuas and Mestizos were matched for nutritional status based on measurements of subcutaneous fat and body muscle. The study indicates that: (1) du…
New norms of upper limb fat and muscle areas for assessment of nutritional status
Heritability and components of phenotypic expression in skin reflectance of Mestizos from the Peruvian Lowlands
Skin reflectance was measured on the inner upper arm and forehead of a sample of 209 Mestizos ranging in age from 2 to 64 years living in the town of Lamas in the Eastern Peruvian Lowlands. The sample consisted of 43 father‐son, 42 father‐daughter, 62 mother‐son, and 70 mother‐daughter pairs. The sample also consisted of 57 brother‐brother, 60 sister‐sister and 139 brother‐sister pairs. The reflectance measurements were made with a Photovolt Refl…
Developmental and nutritional determinants of pregnancy outcome among teenagers
To investigate the determinants of low birth weight in infants born to adolescent mothers, we studied the obstetric population attended at the Maternity Hospital of Lima, Peru. From this population, 1256 gravidas, ranging in age from 12 to 25 years, volunteered to participate in this study. Anthropometric and biochemical measurements were used to evaluate the nutritional status and physiological maturity of the mother and newborn. For analytical …
Standards of arm muscle by stature for the assessment of nutritional status of children
This study is based on a sample of 9,134 children ranging in age from 2 to 17 years from which the excessively lean and fat children by skinfold thickness were excluded. This sample was derived from the combined data sets of the first and second National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES I and II) of 1971–1974 and 1976–1980. Means and percentiles of upper arm muscle area were calculated for 3 cm increments in stature from 84 to 184…
American Journal of Human Biology as the new official publication of the Human Biology Council
Anthropometric Standards for the Assessment of Growth and Nutritional Status
Reduction in birth weight associated with smoking among young and older‐age women
This study examined the combined effects of maternal smoking and maternal age on birth weight. A sample of 1,851 white, full‐term infants (37 to 42 weeks) born to primiparous mothers ranging in age from 18 to 41 years was derived from the database of the Child Health and Development Studies (CHDS), available through the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The mothers were classified into three age gro…
Council officers and committees
Human Adaptation and Accommodation
Relationship of serum cholesterol and truncal body fat distribution among Mexican Americans is accentuated by obesity
The relationship of body fat distribution to serum cholesterol levels was evaluated in a sample of 3,040 Mexican Americans 18–74 years of age from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES) conducted from 1982–1984. Fat distribution was determined by the ratio of trunk to extremity skinfold thicknesses, while the sum of skinfold thicknesses was used as an indicator of total body fat. Results of this study indicate that: 1) Mexi…
Small for gestational age associated with short stature during adolescence
This study examined the relationship between intrauterine growth retardation and adolescent stature in a sample of 1510 White subjects (754 males and 756 females) who were evaluated at birth and at the ages of 15, 16, and 17 years. The subjects were classified into two groups based on birthweight, small for gestational age (SGA) and appropriate for gestational age (AGA), corresponding respectively to values below the 10th, and between the 11th an…
Medicine (23 works) · Demography (22 works) · Biology (21 works) · Population (15 works) · Birth, Development, and Health (13 works) · Internal Medicine (13 works) · Effects of high altitude on humans (11 works) · Geography (11 works) · Internal Medicine (11 works) · Environmental health (10 works)