Geraldine Moreno-Black

Differential Habitat Utilization of Four Cercopithecidae in a Kenyan Forest

The presence of Papio cynocephalus, Cercopithecus mitis, Cercopithecus aethiops and Colobus angolensis in a small coastal forest is attributed to their differential habitat utilization. Data on diet, space-use patterns and polyspecific associations are given. Habitat partitioning is found to be resource-related and is accomplished through differential reliance on resources as well as different means of exploiting overlapping resources. The implications of the data for understanding the relationship between ecology and social structure are discussed.

Cultivating continuity and creating change: Women's home garden practices in northeastern Thailand

The tradition of planting and maintaining home gardens is an expression of culture and represents an intense interaction between humans and plants. Forty-nine home gardens in northeastern Thailand were surveyed and found to be quite rich and diverse. The gardens contained domesticated plants, species that are not native to the area, and local non-domesticates. We focused on womens gardening practices as behaviors that create an intensive interaction with the physical and social environment and found that women are increasing their management and manipulation of non-domesticated resources. Home gardens, maintained primarily by women, are part of a continuum of resource areas that are constructed and utilized. The maintenance of specific plants in the gardens provide a source of stability in the rapidly changing cultural, social, and economic environment.

Psychological Burden in the Era of Haart: Impact of Selenium Therapy

Objective: To determine the impact of nutritional (selenium) chemo-prevention on levels of psychological burden (anxiety, depression, and mood state) in HIV/AIDS. Method: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled selenium therapy (200 μ/day) trial was conducted in HIV+ drug users from 1998–2000. Psychosocial measures (STAI-State and Trait anxiety, BDI-depression, and POMS- mood state), clinical status (CD4 cell count, viral load), and plasma selenium levels were determined at baseline and compared with measurements obtained at the 12-month evaluation in 63 participants (32 men, 31 women). Results: The majority of the study participants reported elevated levels of both State (68%) and Trait (70%) anxiety. Approximately 25% reported overall mood distress (POMS >60) and moderate depression (BDI > 20). Psychological burden was not influenced by current drug use, antiretroviral treatment, or viral load. At the 12-month evaluation, participants who received selenium reported increased vigor (p = 0.004) and had less anxiety (State, p = 0.05 and Trait, p = 0.02), compared to the placebo-treated individuals. No apparent selenium-related affect on depression or distress was observed. The risk for state anxiety was almost four times higher, and nearly nine times greater for trait anxiety in the placebo-treated group, controlling for antiretroviral therapy, CD4 cell decline (> 50 cells) and years of education. Conclusions: Selenium therapy may be a beneficial treatment to decrease anxiety in HIV+ drug users who exhibit a high prevalence of psychological burden.

In times of plenty and times of scarcity: Nondomesticated food in northeastern Thailand

In subsistence‐based societies, daily activities are directed by food procurement, but food is not usually regarded as a given; food shortages can be a threat or a reality. Seasonal variations are the most common type of shortage; however, other factors may also affect food availability. Using focus‐group discussions in conjunction with semi‐structured interviews and participant observations, how villagers in northeastern Thailand cope with seasonal stress and famine conditions was investigated. This paper presents the use of nondomesticated food and variation in coping strategies used during periods of food scarcity in this region. Seasonal scarcity and threat of famine were both identified with specific diet‐related indicators, and nondomesticated food resources continued to be important sources of food during normal times as well as in periods of food stress. However, variation existed among age and gender groups in terms of specific practices, life experiences, and knowledge. Decreasing availability of nondomesticated food resources and significant social changes are leading to increased reliance on wage labor and other cash‐producing strategies for food acquisition.

Speaking of hunger and coping with food insecurity: experiences in the Afro-Ecuadorian highlands

Using examples from an Afro-Ecuadorian community, we analyze indicators of household food insecurity and discuss them in terms of household structure and different time frames. We found that perceptions of hunger vary independently over time and are expressed differently in different types of households. We also found that definitions, although variable within the population, can be framed in five conceptual categories: a) an experience filled with anguish or despair; b) hunger as an economic issue; c) a concern over child welfare; d) an experience of the physical body; e) hunger as the experience of not having any food rather than not having variety in what is eaten; and f) those individuals who indicated they had never experienced hunger. We also learned that individuals act and react in a variety of ways to food insecurity. Our study highlights the way people attempt to adjust to fluctuations in food and resources, how they can feel helpless and alienated, and how they attempt to do the best they can with dignity and hopefulness.

The distribution of haemoglobin concentration in a sample of native high-altitude women

Two hundred and twenty-two indigenous women living in La Paz, Bolivia at an altitude of 3700 m were screened for the haematological parameters of haemoglobin, transferrin saturation, haematocrit and total iron-binding capacity. The data from 152 nonpregnant healthy women under 45 years of age were utilized in both distributional and maximum likelihood analyses in order to evaluate the prevalence of abnormal haemoglobin levels. The prevalence of anaemia and polycythaemia in the population was low and not considered to be a public health problem. Eleven per cent of the population was found to be iron deficient (less than 15% transferrin saturation).

Nutritional Counseling in Midwifery and Obstetric Practice

It is generally acknowledged that pregnant women require healthy diets. However, the cultural idea of “eating for two” and what constitutes an “appropriate” diet during pregnancy have been contested grounds of research as guidelines have changed over the decades. Using a grounded theory approach, we examine how research on pregnancy nutrition is incorporated into practice and translated to patients by obstetricians and 2 categories of midwives—certified nurse midwives (CNMs) and direct-entry midwives (DEMs). Five themes emerged from interviews: (1) food and exercise as “two sides of the same coin”; (2) “good food” and “food that harms” dichotomies; (3) nutrition as holistic prevention; (4) institutionalized barriers to nutritional counseling; and (5) food and the obesity epidemic. An exploration of the conceptual connections between these themes by provider type suggests mechanisms that we argue may be functioning to produce, reproduce, and perpetuate midwifery and medical models of care and associated provider-effects on nutrition-related complications.

Maximal aerobic power in trained youths at high altitude

The sample for this study consisted of 25 males and 19 females between the ages of 8.8 and 19.5 years. The subjects were healthy, well nourished and trained swimmers residing in La Paz, Bolivia (mean altitude 3700 m). The purpose of this study was to provide normative values for the work capacity of high-altitude youths. Mean VO2 max was 46.9 ml/kg/min in males and 39.3 ml/kg/min in females. VO2max increased significantly with age in males but not in females. Mean VO2max tended to be 10-20% lower in the swimmers than in sea-level athletes.

Household Structure and Dietary Patterns in the Afro-Ecuadorian Highlands

Dietary patterns in contemporary societies have been a primary focus of nutritional and anthropological research. Class, occupation, income, and gender have been studied when analyzing dietary patterns and the roots of malnutrition and hunger; however, the effects of household structure have received less attention. The main purpose of our study was to obtain information on the diet of a highland Afro-Ecuadorian community and examine the relationship between household structure and dietary patterns. Survey questionnaires, in-depth questionnaires, and participant observation were utilized to examine how women in female-headed households compare with women in male-headed households in meeting the dietary needs of their families. There was no significant difference in food-acquisition patterns. Weekly expenditures for food in the two types of households were similar, despite different income levels. However, female-headed households had higher food-group scores and consumed more meals per day.

Dietary status and dietary diversity of native highland Bolivian children

Dietary information from 117 Bolivian boys was collected using the 24‐hour recall method. Nutritional adequacy, dietary diversity and dietary quality and their relation to resource‐demographic variables were assessed. The childrens diets were adequate for all nutrients except calories, calcium, niacin and thiamin according to FAO standards. The dietary quality index, however, indicated the diets diverged considerably from that normally considered adequate for fat and protein intakes. The children were also characterized by a low or passive activity profile which may be a reflection of dietary inadequacy. Increased dietary diversity and quality were positively correlated with family income and mothers education, and negatively correlated with the employment status of the mother.