Impact of modernization on adult body composition on five islands of varying economic development in vanuatu
Dados Bibliográficos
| AUTOR(ES) | |
|---|---|
| AFILIAÇÃO(ÕES) | Department of Anthropology SUNY Binghamton Binghamton New York, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources Port Vila Republic of Vanuatu, Laboratory of Evolutionary Anthropology and Health SUNY Binghamton Binghamton New York, Laboratory of Biomedical Anthropology and Neurosciences SUNY Binghamton Binghamton New York, Department of Kinanthropologie Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Montréal QC H2X 1Y4 Canada, Ministry of Health PMB 042 Port Vila Republic of Vanuatu (Former), Island Malaria Group, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet Stockholm Sweden, Temple University |
| ANO | Não informado |
| TIPO | Artigo |
| DOI | 10.1002/ajhb.22734 |
| CITAÇÕES | 4 |
| ADICIONADO EM | 2025-08-18 |
Resumo
ObjectiveThe Republic of Vanuatu, similar to other South Pacific island nations, is undergoing a rapid health transition as a consequence of modernization. The pace of modernization is uneven across Vanuatu's 63 inhabited islands, resulting in differential impacts on overall body composition and prevalence of obesity among islands, and between men and women. In this study, we investigated (1) how modernization impacts body composition between adult male and female Melanesians living on four islands of varying economic development in Vanuatu, and (2) how body composition differs between adult Melanesians and Polynesians living on rural islands in Vanuatu.MethodsAnthropometric measurements were taken on adult male and female Melanesians aged 18 years and older (n = 839) on the islands of Ambae (rural), Aneityum (rural with tourism), Nguna (rural with urban access), and Efate (urban) in Vanuatu, in addition to Polynesian adults on Futuna (rural).ResultsMean measurements of body mass and fatness, and prevalence of obesity, were greatest on the most modernized islands in our sample, particularly among women. Additionally, differences between men and women became more pronounced on islands that were more modernized. Rural Polynesians on Futuna exhibited greater body mass, adiposity, and prevalence of obesity than rural Melanesians on Ambae.ConclusionsWe conclude that Vanuatu is undergoing an uneven and rapid health transition resulting in increased prevalence of obesity, and that women are at greatest risk for developing obesity‐related chronic diseases in urbanized areas in Vanuatu. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 27:832–844, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.