Hugo Azcorra

Nutritional status of Maya children, their mothers, and their grandmothers residing in the City of Merida, Mexico: Revisiting the leg‐length hypothesis

To test the hypothesis that leg length‐relative‐to‐stature is a more sensitive indicator of nutrition and health than is total height (HT) or sitting height (SH) in a sample of 109 triads of urban Maya children (6.0–8.99 years), their mothers, and maternal grandmothers from Merida, Mexico.

How useful is BMI in predicting adiposity indicators in a sample of Maya children and women with high levels of stunting

Body mass index (BMI) is used frequently to estimate adiposity levels in children and adults. However, the applicability of BMI to populations with high levels of stunting has been questioned. Stunted people can have disproportionately short legs, which may increase BMI without increasing body fat because of the relatively larger trunk compared with the legs.

Globalization and children’s diets: The case of Maya of Mexico and Central America

Abstract Globalization is, in part, an economic force to bring about a closer integration of national economies. Globalization is also a biological, social and ideological process of change. Globalization results in powerful multinational corporations imposing their products on new markets. Food globalization brings about nutritional transitions, the most common being a shift from a locally-grown diet with minimally refined foods, to the modern diet of highly processed foods, high in saturated fat, animal products and sugar, and low in fiber. This paper will examine the influences of food globalization using the Maya of Mexico as a case study. The Maya people of Mexico are a poignant case. Maya health and culture has deteriorated as a result, with highly processed foods affecting physical growth and health of Maya children and their families. The case of the Maya is not isolated and we must come to terms with food globalization if we are to translate research into better child health and well-being

Family migration and physical growth in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico

Merida city in Yucatan, Mexico, has received rural‐to‐urban migration for decades, with most immigrants settling in the citys southern neighborhoods. Exposure of immigrants to new environmental and sociocultural conditions can generate biological responses, including changes in physical growth pattern at early age. We performed a study to identify and measure the effects of family migration into south Merida on growth in 4‐ to 6‐year‐old children, measuring weight, height, sitting height, and calculated arm muscle and fat areas of 445 children: 228 natives (116 females) and 217 immigrants (118 females) and collecting family social and demographic data. Statistical analysis focused on determining differences in growth, socioeconomic, and biological variables by migratory condition and generating multiple regression models for each growth measurement. No univariate statistical differences (P > 0.05, Students t‐test) were observed in growth between studied children. Multiple regression analyses showed age, sex, mothers height, birth order, birth weight, family income, zone of residence, diet, and febrile episodes had an effect on growth. Neither the migration variable used above nor any other definition of migrant had a significant effect on growth. The lack of differences in growth between immigrant and native children is probably due to similarity in socioeconomic conditions of their families. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2009.

Intergenerational influences on the growth of Maya children: The effect of living conditions experienced by mothers and maternal grandmothers during their childhood

To test the hypothesis that living conditions experienced by maternal grandmothers (F1 generation) and mothers (F2 generation) during their childhood are related to height and leg length (LL: height − sitting height) of their 6‐to‐8 year old children (F3 generation).

Effects of maya ancestry and environmental variables on knee height and body proportionality in growing individuals in merida, yucatan

Identify the biological, social, and economic conditions influencing the knee height/stature index (KHSI) in growing individuals of Maya ancestry in the city of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.

ETHNICITY AND INCOME IMPACT ON BMI AND STATURE OF SCHOOL CHILDREN LIVING IN URBAN SOUTHERN MEXICO.

Obesity affects quality of life and increases the risk of morbidity and mortality. Mexico, a middle-income country, has a high prevalence of overweight and obesity among urban children. Merida is the most populated and growing city in southern Mexico with a mixed Mayan and non-Maya population. Local urbanization and access to industrialized foods have impacted the eating habits and physical activity of children, increasing the risk of overweight and obesity. This study aimed to contribute to the existing literature on the global prevalence of overweight and obesity and examined the association of parental income, ethnicity and nutritional status with body mass index (BMI) and height in primary school children in Merida. The heights and weights of 3243 children aged 6-12 from sixteen randomly selected schools in the city were collected between April and December 2012. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to examine differences in the prevalence of BMI and height categories (based on WHO reference values) by ethnicity and income levels. Of the total students, 1648 (50.9%) were overweight or obese. Stunting was found in 227 children (7%), while 755 (23.3%) were defined as having short stature. Combined stunting and overweight/obesity was found in 301 students (9.3%) and twelve (0.4%) were classified as stunted and of low weight. Having two Mayan surnames was inversely associated with having adequate height (OR=0.69, p<0.05) and the presence of two Maya surnames in children increased the odds of short stature and stunting. Children from lower income families had twice the odds of being stunted and obese. Overweight, obesity and short stature were frequent among the studied children. A significant proportion of Meridan children could face an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and its associated negative economic and social outcomes unless healthier habits are adopted. Action is needed to reduce the prevalence of obesity among southern Mexican families of all ethnic groups, particularly those of lower income.

Intergenerational changes in knee height among Maya mothers and their adult daughters from Merida, Mexico.

To analyze differences in knee height (KH) between adult Maya mothers and daughters in Merida City, Mexico, and determine if these differences are associated with their childhood socioeconomic conditions.

Maternal height and its relationship to offspring birth weight and adiposity in 6- to 10-year-old Maya children from poor neighborhoods in Merida, Yucatan.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the relationship between maternal height, offspring birth weight, and adiposity at 6-10 years of age in a sample of 197 mother-child dyads from Merida, Mexico. MATERIALS AND METHODS During 2008-2009 and 2011-2013, measurements were taken of maternal height and weight; and height, waist circumference (WC), and skinfolds (triceps, subscapular, and suprailiac) of their children. Participant body composition was estimated using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer. A questionnaire was applied to document household socioeconomic conditions. Multiple linear regression models were used to study the association between maternal height, offspring birth weight and fat mass index (FMI), WC, and sum of skinfolds (SumSkfZ) in boys and girls, separately. RESULTS After adjusting for child age and household socioeconomic conditions, maternal height was identified to be significantly associated (p < .05) with FMI, WC, and SumSkf only in boys. In all models, child adiposity was inversely related to maternal height. Offspring birth weight was not associated with any adiposity parameter. DISCUSSION The results suggest that maternal nutritional history as reflected in short maternal stature is associated with higher body fat in children, and that male offspring are more vulnerable to intergenerational influences.

Maternal maya ancestry and birth weight in Yucatan, Mexico

The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between maternal Maya ancestry and the birth weight of infants born in Yucatan, Mexico, during 2013.