G B Spurr

Gastrointestinal parasitic infection, anthropometrics, nutritional status, and physical work capacity in Colombian boys.

This article tests the hypothesis that the presence of gastrointestinal parasites in Colombian boys is negatively associated with anthropometric characteristics, physical work capacity, blood hemoglobin (Hb) levels, and nutritional status. Anthropometric, Hb, V̇O2 max, and parasite load data were collected on 1,016 boys in Cali, Colombia. The boys were classified as lower socioeconomic class (SEC) from either urban or rural environments, and upper SEC from an urban environment. Sixty‐three percent of the boys were infected with gastrointestinal parasites and, of the infected boys, 80–95% had light parasite loads. Parasites found included Necator americanus, Ascaris lumbricoides, Entamoeba histolytica, Trichuris trichiura, Giardia spp., and Enterobius vermicularis. Infected boys had significantly lower weight, stature, weight‐for‐height (among 6–9‐year‐old boys), Hb levels, and V̇O2 max (ANCOVA, controlling for age and SEC). In terms of nutritional status, infected boys were 1.47 times more likely to be classified as iron deficient than noninfected boys (chi‐square, P < 0.001), and 1.61 times more likely to be classified as stunted (P < 0.001). Infection was not associated with wasting in any SEC group. In conclusion, light to moderate gastrointestinal parasite loads were associated with significantly lower weight, stature, weight‐for‐height (in 6–9‐year‐old boys), Hb levels, and V̇O2 max, and a significantly higher frequency of IDA and stunting. These data suggest that comprehensive analyses of the nutritional status of populations in regions endemic for parasitic infection should include testing for the presence of infection. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 11:763–771, 1999.

Daily energy expenditure of women by factorial and heart rate methods.

To compare the minute-by-minute heart rate (Flex-HR) reference method with the factorial method, total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and the pattern of daily energy expenditure (EE) were measured in nonpregnant, nonlactating women 19-40 yr of age, working at their household chores (at home, N = 20) or for remuneration in various kinds of employment (at work, N = 28). The factorial method used three data sets described in the compendium of Ainsworth et al. (CMD), FAO/WHO/UNU (FAO), and James and Schofield (J&S). Measurements were repeated on three rounds separated by 3 months. The TDEE by Flex-HR method, by round, was 9.0 +/- 2.6, 8.9 +/- 1.4, and 10.3 +/- 3.4 MJ.d-1 in the women at home and 9.7 +/- 2.3, 11.4 +/- 3.2, and 11.3 +/- 3.6 MJ.d-1 in the women at work. Values using the CMD data set were not significantly different from Flex-HR in either group in any round, but FAO and J&S data sets gave significantly lower values than both of the former methods in all rounds. The same statistical results were obtained for the patterns of activity. Since the timing of activities by the observers was the same, it is concluded that the major source of error in applying the factorial method is in the values for energy expenditure assigned to the various activities and the ability of investigators to properly judge EE from available data sets.

Comparative study of flex heart rate in colombian children and in pregnant, lactating, and non‐pregnant, nonlactating women

The heart rate (HR) value employed to separate resting and active portions of the calibration curves used to estimate energy expenditure (EE) from minute‐by‐minute HR recordings is called the flex‐HR. The present study has characterized it, the resting HR and the average daily HR during the awake portion of the day (12–14 h) by comparing age, gender and nutritional status effects related to measured maximum oxygen consumption (V̇  O 2 max; ml/min/kg body weight)in school‐aged Colombian children (145 boys and 132 girls), 6–16 years of age. The same HR variables have been individually measured in nutritionally normal, nonpregnant, nonlactating (NPNL; n = 48), pregnant (n = 26), and lactating (n = 18) women, 19–43 years of age, on three occasions separated by 3 months. In general, the flex‐HR followed the differences observed in resting and average daily HRs. All three values decreased with age in children, were higher in girls than boys, and did not exhibit differences between nutritionally normal and undernourished children. All three HRs had a statistically significant negative relationship with V̇  O 2 max in boys but not in girls. NPNL and lactating women showed no significant change in the mean values of the repeated HR measurements but exhibited maximum individual differences of flex‐HR of −56 to +42 beats/min. Pregnant women had higher HRs in all 3 rounds of measurement compared to NPNL subjects. The data support the generalization that the flex‐HR method of estimating EE is appropriate in groups of subjects but not in individuals, and that individual calibration of subjects close to the time of application to the making of EE measurements is an important feature of its use. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 9:647–657, 1997.

V̇ O 2 max and nutritional status in Urban Colombian girls and women

Maximal oxygen consumption (V̇  O 2 max, liters min−1) was measured in 60 nutritionally normal and 74 marginally undernourished girls 6–16 years of age and 27 upper socioeconomic (UEC) women and 22 women living in economically deprived conditions (LEC) in Cali, Colombia. All girls were recruited from the LEC neighborhoods. Lower values for V̇  O 2 max (liters min−1) in undernourished girls were replaced by a nutritionally normal status in adulthood in which V̇  O 2 max was not significantly different from that measured in UEC women. Physical condition varied from average to fair in the younger to older subjects compared to women from industrialized countries. When V̇  O 2 max is expressed as ml min−1 kg−1 of lean body mass (LBM), all age and group effects disappear, confirming regression analysis which demonstrated a close relationship (r2 = 0.81) between V̇  O 2 max (liters min−1) and LBM in which there were no significant differences between nutritional or socioeconomic groups.